You’ve probably experienced browsing your feeds and coming across a short film everybody seems to be talking about. The video has a million views, and tens of thousands of Likes, comments, and shares. Some people claim to have gotten teary-eyed while watching the video, felt confused, or had a good laugh. Curious, you also pressed play, and found yourself just as immersed in the short film as everyone had been.
And then by the end of the film, it’s revealed that what you just watched was an advertisement all along.
Surprising, but undeniably clever, too. Brands know that people dislike ads, especially the ones that interrupt their browsing or video-streaming. So they disguised their ads as short films, and gained the reaction there were exactly going for.
If you also run a brand that needs more recognition, you should give a short film ad a try. A high-quality one might be expensive to create and produce, but many filmmakers and businesses can release amazing short films without breaking the bank. The key is to find a boutique video production company that caters to brands of all sizes.
That said, let’s delve into the impact created by gripping short films.
Short Films Ensnare Social Media Users
A short film with a relatable or heartbreaking story gets the people of social media wrapped around its finger. It will dominate the trending spots on Facebook and Twitter, with users from all over a country sharing it on their feeds. They will also talk about it verbally with their friends and family, acting carefully so as to not reveal a spoiler, and therefore convince them to watch the film for themselves.
Such is exactly what happened when Subway released a gorgeous short film about growing up and finding yourself. The film started with a scene of a mother giving birth to who would be the protagonist. It then follows his growth, from his childhood, first kiss, hormonal adolescence, to his journey to self-discovery through rice paddies in Asia. When he returns home to start working, he stops by a place that appears to be a dining establishment, which turned out to be Subway.
The film ended with the line: Every day, life asks you the same question: What are you gonna try today?
Unsurprisingly, the short film blew the minds of Twitter users. No one suspected that they were watching an ad all along. They retweeted the video with captions stating their reactions. There were hardly any retweets revealing the brand advertised by the short film, making more users curious and encouraged to also watch the film.
If your small brand copies Subway’s strategy, imagine how much you’ll grow because of the impact you’ll create. It may look like you’ve bamboozled your audience, but at the end of the day, they loved your short film enough to share it with their peers.
Short Films Shed Light on Topics That May be Unknown to Some
If your brand supports a particular social issue, producing a short film is the best way to spread awareness about it. You can create a documentary-style film or something like Subway’s, which portrays the life of a single person. Short films that explore a particular social issue captures more attention since it’s easier to understand and empathize with.
When people share such eye-opening films, you don’t just spread collective awareness, but you also increase the potential for change. Anyone greatly inspired by your film, because they support the same issue, or the issue directly affects them, will feel represented and have their voices heard.
Short Films are a Great Form of Entertainment
The most basic reason to produce a short film is to entertain. Even if the theme or topic of the film is a little dark, it still piques interest, captures attention, and starts a buzz. And since they’re usually just less than thirty minutes long, there won’t be boring parts in the film. You can be straightforward without spoiling the whole story from the start.
Furthermore, a short film can explore topics that are normally boring in an engaging way. For example, current events. To a person who doesn’t give much thought to the news, current events are a dull topic. But if you discuss it through a drama or documentary, even the person who never cared about the news will be entertained.
Short Films Encourage New Filmmakers to Keep Going
Lastly, your brand also helps new filmmakers when you release a good short film. It will give a voice to filmmakers who cannot put themselves out there because of insufficient resources. Your film will present them an opportunity to find a niche in the audience that they can serve.
In these times when kindness, compassion, and empathy aren’t experienced often, short films promoting these attitudes feel refreshing. It makes consumers respect a brand, and restores their faith in humanity.
