Animation is just for kids…right?

Our memories of animation are usually centred around childhood experiences. But why are these memories so powerful? Why did we have such a visceral reaction to (SPOILER ALERT!) the untimely demise of Bambi’s mum or Woody and Buzz’s desperate failed attempt to GET ON THAT REMOVAL TRUCK?!

The simple answer is the medium. Those anthropomorphised animals and objects allowed us to learn and make moral judgements in a way that sits slightly outside of reality. So, yes. Animation is for kids. It helps us to experience the world and learn in a safe, entertaining and emotionally powerful way. But as adults, can it still be as emotionally effective?

Animation has the unique quality of being able to walk the line between realism and abstraction. This can be a powerful tool when telling an emotive story about a real person, enabling you to move seamlessly between reconstruction and visualising inner thoughts and feelings.

We love this short film, Romina, by Paola Mendoza that recounts the journey of a young girl seeking reproductive healthcare in the US. Her emotions, anxieties and the network of people that helped her are visualised through abstract scenes. Whilst her personal story is told through carefully crafted character animation and voiceover.

In our own work, we’ve used animation to bring to life employee stories with meaningful emotional resonance – whether that’s with laughter, tears or a bit of both – and in very different styles. The examples below of our work for HSBC in support of mental health day and for Amazon in support of their inclusive workplaces show how animation is a powerful and flexible creative tool.

Brands often feel that a strong emotional connection can only be made by filming real people. For us, animation is a powerful and flexible creative tool that can be used alongside traditional documentary filmmaking methods to help to elevate a personal story. Think of it as another tool in the toolbox rather than something that must be used in place of live action filmmaking. And perhaps most importantly, animation can help you tune in to the same emotional power that moved us when we were kids.