The Emerging Social Video Trends Of 2013 – Part 2
Continuing our series on emerging social video trends, we’re back to discuss the little videos that have made such a big impression on the social web.
That’s right, we’re talking short form content. Though the mini-medium only burst into the mainstream with Vine’s launch in January, intense press coverage and a slew of viral hits have helped propel the format even further into the zeitgeist. Of course, Instagram’s much-publicized launch of a competitor app hasn’t hurt either.
With the news going nano and celebs getting circular, it was only a matter of time until brands joined in on the action. As always, some were later than others. But only a few short months into this new genre of content marketing and we’re already seeing some recurring themes in the hundreds of branded vines produced every day.
So let’s run down just a few of the emerging trends taking the short form world by storm.
1. Stop-Motion Revival
Though the technique has existed since the early days of cinema, stop-motion film has had its own mini-Renaissance due to Vine’s exploding popularity. The app’s intuitive controls and easily-digested length make it easier than ever to make your own retro masterpiece.
Following the example of prominent stop-motion viners like @pinot and @meagancignoli, there’s a wide variety of approaches you can take. For example, Cignoli’s wildly-popular collaborations with French Connection have a slightly rougher animation style, perfectly fitting a more indie aesthetic.
On the more painstaking side of things, Pinot’s work with Angry Birds’ creators Rovio reflects what’s made him one of Vine’s most popular users: meticulous, hand-crafted, and purely imaginative.
While Instagram Video has similar capabilities and its own stop-motion following, the early consensus among high-profile users is that Vine is simply more suited to this kind of craft. Plus with drafts and a ‘ghost’ tool coming in their next update, Vine looks set to appeal even more to this niche. A couple bits of advice for your own stop-motion ventures: take very quick shots for smoother action and put your iPhone on Airplane mode to stop a pesky text from ruining your shot! 2. Tease Your Product While Vine may have animation locked-down for the moment, Instagram brings a built-in audience of 130 million monthly users, by now all hooked on filtered pictures of handbags, fancy dinners and holiday destinations. It’s for this reason that Instagram Video seems an ideal place for product teases. With a slightly more robust 15 seconds to play with, superior editing and a choice of stylish filters, the app is able to convey brand message in a controlled manner. This works particularly well for high fashion brands like Burberry, whose chic teaser has nearly 20,000 likes. While most product teases are mostly fashion-related, other industries have played with this trend. Currently one of the most popular branded Vines is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trailer for Hugh Jackman’s The Wolverine, the first trailer of its kind. Just last week Instagram hit back with their own trailer premiere, for Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs’ biopic.
This trend sums up why brands should care about short form. Our favourite product tease of all? USA Today previewing the next day’s news.
3. How-To
Finally, a trend that really capitalizes on the ‘short’ in short form. Ever needed some very quick instruction on a simple task? Well, Vine and Instagram are made for this kind of video, and brands have been quickly latching on.
A quick look through the branded ‘How To’ catalogue reveals all sorts of little gems. For example, who hasn’t wanted to brush up on their kitchen art?
Perhaps the most popular How To’s come from Lowe’s and the aforementioned Meagan Cignoli, who cover all sorts of handy domestic tips under the title #lowesfixinsix.
If you’re looking for slightly more surreal, but a lot more delicious, advice, look no further than @oreo. On the Nabisco-owned
cookie’s official Twitter page, these mad geniuses are cranking out ever-more absurd uses for their product.
