All About 2D Animated Videos: Cost, Timelines, Examples

Animated videos have become an integral part of modern advertising and business. They are short clips created using various animation techniques, such as 2D and 3D animation. In this article, we will focus on 2D animation and its application in advertising and business.

2D Animated Videos: A Key Element in Advertising and Business

Animated videos have become an essential part of advertising and business, allowing companies to effectively convey their ideas to their target audience. One of the most popular forms of animation is 2D animation, known for its accessibility, versatility, and ability to create unique and memorable visuals.

What Is 2D Animation?

2D animation and 2D animated videos involve the creation of two-dimensional images that interact with each other on-screen. Unlike 3D animation, 2D is limited to two dimensions—width and height—allowing for faster and more cost-effective production while maintaining expressiveness and vibrancy.

Applications of 2D Animation in Advertising and Business
Animated videos are used for various business objectives, including:

✔ Explaining complex concepts
✔ Promoting products and services
✔ Enhancing brand image

Thanks to its affordability, the cost of 2D animation is often significantly lower than that of other animation techniques, making it an attractive choice for many companies.

Styles and Techniques in 2D Animation

2D animation can be created using various techniques, including:

🎨 Traditional hand-drawn animation – Frame-by-frame illustrations for a classic, artistic style.
✏ Vector graphics – Clean, scalable images for modern, sleek animation.
💻 Specialized animation software – Tools that streamline the animation process.

Regardless of the chosen style, the key to a successful 2D animated video is its ability to capture the audience's attention and effectively deliver the intended message.

Advantages of Animated Advertising

Animated advertising, developed by experienced animation studios, is a highly effective marketing tool with numerous advantages across different industries. Let’s explore the key benefits that make animated advertising so popular and impactful.

Visual Appeal

An animation studio can create a video with bright, memorable visuals that easily capture the audience’s attention. This makes advertising content more effective and ensures that it stays in the minds of consumers for a longer time.
Flexibility and Adaptability

An animation studio can create advertising content that suits any business, effectively explaining complex ideas and concepts in a simple and engaging way. This makes animation a universal marketing tool, applicable across various industries.
Wide Range of Styles and Techniques

There are numerous animation styles and techniques available for creating advertising videos. This allows companies to choose the animation style that best fits their product or service, ensuring a unique and engaging visual presentation.
Affordability

Ordering animation can be significantly cheaper than producing traditional live-action videos or 3D animation. Thanks to its lower production costs, animated advertising becomes accessible for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to compete with larger market players.

Types of Animation Studios

In today's world, there are many animation studios, each specializing in different aspects of animated video production. In this section, we will explore the three main types of animation studios:

1

Animation studio

An animation studio is a company that specializes in creating animated videos for various purposes, including advertising, education, presentations, and entertainment. These studios can work with different types of animation, such as 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and more.
Typically, animation studios have a team of experienced professionals who ensure that the final video is of high quality and originality, making it engaging and effective for its intended audience.
2

3D animation studio

A 3D animation studio specializes in creating three-dimensional animated videos. They use computer graphics to develop detailed characters, objects, and scenes that interact in a 3D space.
3D animation allows for the creation of realistic visuals and dynamic scenes, making it an ideal choice for producing visually engaging and immersive videos. This style is widely used in advertising, gaming, film production, and product visualization.
3

2D animation studio

A 2D animation studio specializes in creating two-dimensional animation, where characters and objects are depicted on a flat surface. 2D animation can be produced using traditional hand-drawn techniques on paper or celluloid, as well as digital tools like vector and raster graphics.
2D animation studios work on a variety of projects, including:
🎬 Animated series and films
📢 Commercials and promotional videos
🎶 Music videos
🎓 Educational content
The key advantages of 2D animation are its relatively low production cost and its unique visual style, which can be adapted to suit different genres and target audiences.

Top International Animation Studios with Global Recognition

The global animation industry is driven by highly innovative studios that produce both commercial animations for brands and feature-length animated films that reach international audiences. Many animation studios have gained worldwide recognition, collaborating with major corporations, entertainment companies, and digital platforms. These studios not only push the boundaries of animation technology but also set trends in storytelling and design. Their influence extends beyond advertising and entertainment, shaping how industries like education, healthcare, and finance use animated content.

1

Buck

Buck is a world-renowned motion design and animation studio, known for its bold, cutting-edge animation and branding. The studio has worked with Nike, Apple, Google, and Coca-Cola, producing high-quality 2D, 3D, and motion graphics for advertising and digital experiences. Their ability to blend design, technology, and storytelling makes them one of the most innovative studios in the industry. Buck’s projects often push the limits of animation aesthetics, experimenting with different techniques to create unique brand identities.
2

Giant Ant

Giant Ant is a highly respected creative studio based in Vancouver, specializing in storytelling-driven motion design and commercial animation. Their unique, handcrafted approach to animation has attracted clients like Dropbox, Slack, and Facebook, making them one of the most sought-after animation studios in North America. They emphasize emotional engagement and authenticity in their animations, helping brands establish a strong connection with their audience. Giant Ant’s signature aesthetic combines sleek motion design with compelling narratives, ensuring their work stands out in a crowded digital landscape.
3

Animade

London-based Animade is a commercial animation studio specializing in playful, engaging animations for advertising, branding, and digital experiences. Their charming 2D animations and character-driven storytelling have made them a favorite among brands like Google, Airbnb, and Headspace. They are known for their lighthearted and whimsical style, which brings an element of fun to corporate branding. The studio’s focus on fluid animation and strong visual identity makes them a go-to partner for companies looking to humanize their brand presence.

These studios produce feature-length animated films, series, and short films that have gained global recognition, often working with major Hollywood and international distributors. Their films have shaped pop culture, defined generations, and influenced aspiring animators worldwide. Many of these studios also lead technological advancements in animation, creating groundbreaking tools and techniques that push the industry forward.

1

Pixar Animation Studios

A subsidiary of Disney, Pixar is one of the most influential animation studios in the world, known for its groundbreaking 3D animation and emotional storytelling. With classics like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Inside Out, Pixar has set the standard for high-quality animated films worldwide. Their commitment to storytelling has resulted in some of the most emotionally resonant films in animation history. By continuously refining their animation technology and character-driven narratives, Pixar remains a leader in cinematic innovation.
2

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is Japan’s most iconic animation studio, famous for hand-drawn animation and beautifully crafted narratives. With masterpieces like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke, the studio has gained a dedicated international following and influenced generations of animators. Their films blend fantasy with deep philosophical themes, making them beloved by audiences of all ages. The studio’s distinctive visual style and focus on nature, family, and adventure continue to set it apart from Western animation.
3

Illumination Entertainment

The studio behind the Despicable Me and Minions franchises, Illumination Entertainment has become one of the most commercially successful animation studios globally. With operations in both Hollywood and Paris, the studio produces animated films that appeal to audiences worldwide, often in collaboration with Universal Pictures. Their comedic and family-friendly approach to storytelling has made them a dominant force in box office success. Illumination’s simple yet effective animation style allows them to deliver entertaining films on a lower budget while maintaining high profitability.

Animation Studio Services

Animation studios provide a variety of services to meet the diverse needs of clients in advertising, marketing, education, and other industries. In this chapter, we will look at the main services offered by animation studios.

Overall, animation studios offer a wide range of services that can be tailored to various purposes and industries. With their diverse offerings, animation studios can become key partners for companies and organizations looking to enhance their marketing strategy and effectively communicate their message to target audiences through visually engaging and informative content.

Creating animated advertising. How to order animation.

The process of creating animated advertising begins with selecting a suitable animation studio or freelancer specializing in the development of animated videos. It is essential to choose a provider with experience in projects similar to yours and the ability to present a portfolio of previous works.

When choosing an animation studio, consider the following factors:

Quality of previous work
Animation style
Project completion timeline
Budget

Once a provider is selected, discuss the project details, define the objectives and purpose of the animated video, and determine its style and format. It is also important to agree on the budget and project deadlines, as well as establish collaboration terms and approval stages.

The Animation Production Process: From Idea to Final Video

1

Concept and Idea Development

The process begins with defining the purpose of the animation, the target audience, and the key message. At this stage, the animation studio collaborates with the client to understand their vision and objectives.

2

Scriptwriting

The script is the foundation of an animated video, and its development includes writing the text, describing scenes and characters, and defining key animation elements. The script should align with the target audience’s preferences and fit the overall concept of the video.

3

Storyboarding

Based on the script, a storyboard is created—a series of images depicting the key moments and scenes of the animated video. The storyboard helps visualize the video's storyline and allows for discussions on possible adjustments and modifications with the client.

4

Style Development and Design

At this stage, detailed sketches of characters, objects, and backgrounds that will be used in the animated video are created. These sketches are then approved by the client and refined if necessary.

5

Animation and Motion Design

The actual animation process begins after all design elements have been approved. At this stage, animators bring characters and objects to life using various animation techniques (2D, 3D, stop-motion, and others) depending on the chosen style and format.

6

Sound Design

Simultaneously with the animation process, the soundtrack for the video is created, including voiceovers for characters (if needed), background music, and sound effects. The sound design should blend seamlessly with the visuals, enhancing the atmosphere and overall impact of the animated video.

7

Editing and Post-Production

At this stage, all elements of animation and sound design are combined into a final cohesive video. Editors also perform color correction, add titles and logos, and apply other video enhancements if necessary.

8

Review and Approval

The final animated video is delivered to the client for review and approval. If any adjustments or revisions are needed, the animation studio makes the necessary changes. Once the video is fully approved, the project is considered complete.

9

Delivery and Usage

After the final video is approved, the animation studio provides it to the client in the required format and resolution. The client has the right to use the animated video according to the terms of collaboration agreed upon during the initial stages of the project.

The process of creating animated advertising can be complex and time-consuming, but with the right approach and choice of provider, the result will be worth the effort. Animated advertising helps companies attract audience attention, convey their ideas and offers in a bright and engaging way, ultimately leading to increased sales and customer base expansion.

The cost of animation is determined by several factors, including:

Style of animation
2D, 3D, stop-motion, and other styles vary in complexity and require different amounts of resources and time.

Project complexity
A large number of characters, scenes, or high levels of detail in the storyline can increase the cost of animation.

Production deadlines
If an animated video is needed urgently, the studio may charge extra for expedited production.

Sound design
Original music, voiceovers, and sound effects can also affect the cost of animation.

Additional services
Post-production elements such as color correction, titles, logos, and other video enhancements may increase the final price.

The cost of animated videos also depends on their duration. In many cases, the price per minute of animation decreases as the total length of the video increases, since certain production costs can be distributed over a longer project. However, this is not always the case, and pricing may vary depending on the animation studio and project specifics.

For example, the cost of one minute of 2D animation is often significantly lower than that of 3D animation due to differences in complexity and production time. Thus, the pricing of animated videos of different lengths will depend on the chosen animation style, project complexity, and other factors.

In conclusion, it is important to once again highlight the significance of animation in today's world. Animated videos play a crucial role in advertising, corporate presentations, education, and many other fields. With its unique and engaging nature, animation helps create vivid and memorable visual content that can captivate and hold the audience’s attention.

There are many animation studios offering a wide range of services, including 2D and 3D animation, infographics, motion design, and other specialized areas. Choosing the right animation studio can be a challenging process, considering the variety of styles, technologies, and pricing options available.