Video promo throughout the years: 10 iconic promotional video examples

A promotional video is often the magic marketing ingredient that creates a pivotal moment when a viewer converts into a client or takes a specific action. An integral part of any successful video marketing strategy, video promo is, essentially, an eye-grabbing piece of content that ignites a spark and makes your brand, product or service stand out and persuade.

When creating promotional videos for business purposes, remember to balance creativity and all the factual information you’ve got about the target audience. Putting yourself in the viewers’ shoes is a neat trick that can make or break your content ideas and take them to the next level. If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve carefully curated a list of memorable promotional videos examples and broken down some of the techniques big industry names have been using for years to make an impact in the promotional videos for business world.

Why are business promotional videos important?

Stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of viewers

Business promotional videos are the perfect opportunity to engage versatility, creativity and professionalism to persuade an audience to take action. An original idea has the potential to go viral, and promotional videos for business can help shape pop culture as we know it. In today’s overflowing content pool, make sure that your commercials stand out through uniqueness.

Send the right message

Business promotional videos are designed to leave a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind. Whether it’s a tear-jerking or blissfully joyful story you’re telling, a lifestyle you are selling, or simply placing your brand in front of competition in the market, a powerful advertisement is bound to secure your spot in the viewers’ minds.

Increase brand awareness

A professional promotional video is an essential pawn in the long game of brand awareness. Sometimes, all it takes is a memorable catchphrase or a distinctive video promo style to create and encourage recognition and a strong brand presence with customers or potential consumers.

Drive action

It doesn’t matter what your goal is: making a direct sale, driving traffic through clicks, signing up for a monthly newsletter, or anything else. Business promotional videos, when appropriately executed, are a proven tactic to motivate viewers to take action and start their journey down the funnel. 
 

10 amazing promotional videos examples

1. Apple introduces Macintosh “1984”

An absolutely revolutionary Superbowl ad that changed the promotional videos for business game forever is Apple’s “1984” which introduced the Macintosh. The clever play on Orwell’s novel features dystopian elements that have made it into one of the most memorable commercials ever. If you’re feeling inspired by this iconic ad, try adding a glitch effect to your video and experiment with Technicolor, Sepia, Vintage, or Black and White video effects for a similar look and feel.

2. Volvo Trucks featuring Jean-Claude van Damme’s epic split

Of course, everyone will say that the recipe for video promo success includes famous figures. What about one of the most famous action actors performing a mind-blowing stunt alongside moving vehicles? Volvo aced the commercial game, scoring their place in the promotional videos examples hall of fame with a zooming-out shot of the legendary JCVD split. 

3. Budweiser’s Wassup 

A one-word catchphrase that would leave its mark on pop culture for over 20 years. Before going viral was a thing, chain e-mails or people greeting each other over the phone with “Wassup” was the hype. This type of business promotional videos introduce the relatability factor, and this particular example became a well-known reference not only in TV series but also in real life. Pretty cool, right? 

4. Google Parisian Love 

Yet another iconic Superbowl ad demonstrated how simplicity can awaken deep emotions. Google’s Parisian Love 2010 promotional video is, in essence, a product showcase that illustrates the love story of a foreigner in Paris through search queries. Telling a beautiful story all whilst demonstrating how the product works is a simple, yet effective video promo tactic that you can easily replicate. Use an online screen recorder to capture product features you want to showcase and give Google a run for their money with an inspiring story of your own.

5. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 

Ever thought about the manufacturing process behind a product you’re physically holding in your hands? This approach earned Microsoft a well deserved place in the iconic promotional videos examples hall of fame with the high-quality cinematic production of their ad showcasing the Surface laptop 4. If you find this kind of business promotional videos just as inspiring as us, here’s the secret to replicating it: use a stat-of-the-art online video editor featuring sleek stock footage and a copyright-free sounds library to experiment with transitions and effects.

6. Red Bull gives you wings 

How could we ever forget the cute animations and the iconic “Red Bull gives you wings” tagline? The memorable series of animations features a distinctive style and hilarious plots that illustrate how diverse characters get a boost of energy by drinking the star product. What makes these snippets so great is the short and snappy storyline and dialogue, combined with the charming animations. While we don’t know of a place you can find cartoon witches for hire, we know of a pretty cool voice over maker, so you can give creating a similar video a shot.

7. M&S Food

We hope you’re not hungry because watching this video promo will have you running to the store and getting groceries in no time. M&S has earned a spot in the iconic promotional videos examples top with this mouth-watering compilation of macro shots. Let your imagination run wild with high-definition shots and play around with the speed up or slow down video editing feature for a similar effect.

8. Mercedes-Benz Chicken Magic body control  

Why did the chicken cross the road? To star in promotional videos for business, obviously! Mercedes Benz has cleverly managed to create a car video promo without featuring any vehicles. The brilliant idea to compare (carefully handled with gloves) chicken body control with road stability as a defining feature of their cars has sent the message loud and clear. Besides, featuring chickens alone in a car commercial has generated buzz, and we’re loving this! 

9. Honda Keep up

Who would have thought a rapid succession of words could convey Honda’s message on fast cars in such an epic way? The recipe to this and many similar promotional video examples is quite simple: mix and match legendary footage with an add text to video feature. Keep it original with a unique font, and don’t forget about the perfectly synced background music, as you’re one step closer to memorable business promotional videos. 

10. Snickers’ You’re not you when you’re hungry featuring Mr. Bean 

Any business promotional videos featuring Mr. Bean are immediate crowd favorites, but this one takes the cake…or rather, the Snickers? Sweet tooth aside, we’re all familiar with Mr. Bean’s foreign language skills, and placing him in the company of ninjas gliding across rooftops was a brilliant idea. 

While getting Mr. Bean to star in your business promotional videos might be a challenge, we can guarantee it’s a piece of cake to add subtitles to videos. Add ninjas to the mix, and you’re good to go for an epic video promo!

Having walked through these impressive promotional video examples, we hope you’re feeling inspired and start experimenting with your own content. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and practicing your video promo editing skills is key. Try out our promo video maker to let your creativity and imagination run free with pro-level video editing features to unleash your next masterpiece into the world.