The Influence of Emotionally Rich, Culturally Neutral Character Design
Anyone who has traveled to a nation where the language is spoken in a different dialect can relate to the significance of using body language and emotional expression to communicate.
Effective communication goes much beyond the spoken and written word regardless of the language employed. It has its origins in the bodily manifestation of emotion. While some expressions differ from one culture to the next, research reveals that at least seven universal words transmit the same message regardless of the spoken language used to accompany them. A smile, for example, is a universal symbol of happiness and joy.
Animators who create characters who effectively transmit these universal body language signals allow their stories to be more understood by audiences worldwide. If done correctly, the message will be understood and resonate so strongly with the audience that they will feel compelled to share it with their friends and family.
How Brands are using one Animation for Global Advertising
The animation might be an ace in your sleeve in a world when creative professionals are under pressure to accomplish more with less. Single well-made energy can provide a brand with a valuable asset that can be used in various ways. One animation, for example, could be used in online video advertising, social media video interaction, television commercial spots, corporate videos, tradeshow event videos, in-cinema commercials, and so on.
With a little forethought, the animation may work even harder for the modern marketer. The use of neutral characters makes the film ‘evergreen,’ allowing it to be eaten by a wide range of people and magnified globally.
The Emmy-nominated Coca-Cola “Happiness Factory” series is a wonderful example of this global-scale animation. The Super Bowl commercial for Coca-Cola in 2006 featured an extravagant “factory” that was the inside of a vending machine. It includes made-up characters and inanimate items assisting in the movement of a Coke bottle through the vending machine and out to the customer. It’s a classic, but it’s a goodie!
International Animation Projects with VoiceOver
Because the ads for Coca-Cola and Oreo do not animation any characters to talk in the circumstances indicated above and below, the companies were able to reuse their movies all over the world without the requirement for dubbing.
However, technological developments have allowed animators to lip-sync a character’s speech so closely that you’d assume the lips were matching the sound, independent of the dubbing language. So, with animated characters with dialogue, dubbing (adding voices in other languages) is easier than ever!
Oreo’s “Play With Oreo” ad is an example of a voice-over in foreign marketing. This video shows the same commercial with 14 different voice-over languages. Cookies with foresight! The commercial was aired in 40 countries because of the neutral characters, which do not necessarily allude to any culture.
To sum up, the animation is used extensively in international advertising.
When deciding what medium to utilize for your next global marketing campaign, animation is a surefire way to get more bang for your money (especially when it comes to terms that don’t transfer well into other languages). Especially if you use universal body language, neutral characters, and a voice-over that can be translated into the local language, those components will allow a company to form an emotional bond with its audience, encouraging sharing. Word of mouth and social media are two ways to spread the word about a product. The campaign will profit.
