Brand videos: what they are, the examples worth studying, and how to plan one for your company or yourself

A brand video is a short film that shows what an organization (or a person) stands for and why it exists, rather than selling one product or offer. Good brand videos earn attention through story: a belief, a person, a problem worth solving. Most run 60 seconds to three minutes for websites and events, with 15 to 60 second vertical cuts for social. Well-known examples such as Apple's "1984" and Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" are still discussed years later because they sold an idea about the brand, not a feature list.

What is a brand video?

A brand video communicates identity. Where a product video answers "what does this do?" and an ad answers "why buy now?", a brand video answers "who are you, and why should I care?"

That makes it a video you can use in many places: the homepage, the opening of a pitch meeting, the gala screen, the top of a careers page, a pinned post on LinkedIn. It often sets the tone for other content you make.

Because a brand video stays in use for a long time, it is worth planning carefully. People may see it for years.

Brand video examples worth studying

Each of these is well documented. Most were large-budget productions, but the principles apply to organizations of any size.

Apple, "1984"

Apple introduced the Macintosh with a commercial directed by Ridley Scott that aired during Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. It does not show the computer itself. Instead it casts Apple as the rebel breaking conformity. The lesson: a brand video can sell a worldview, and the product becomes proof of that worldview.

Dove, "Real Beauty Sketches"

In 2013, Dove filmed a criminal sketch artist drawing women first from their own descriptions, then from strangers' descriptions. The gap between the two portraits carried the message: women are more beautiful than they believe. The campaign won the Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2013. The lesson: a simple experiment with real people can say more than a brand's claims about itself.

Chipotle, "Back to the Start"

Chipotle's animated short, set to Willie Nelson's cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist," follows a farmer who moves away from industrial farming and returns to sustainable practices. It won the Film Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2012. The lesson: a brand video can tell the company's values without a spokesperson or a single line of dialogue, if the story is clear.

Nike, "Dream Crazy"

Narrated by Colin Kaepernick for the 30th anniversary of "Just Do It," the two-minute film featured athletes who overcame long odds. It won the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. The lesson: a brand video that speaks clearly to a defined audience can build a strong connection with that audience.

Dollar Shave Club, "Our Blades Are F***ing Great"

Founder Michael Dubin starred in his company's 2012 launch video. He told Fortune he spent about $4,500 on it and shot it in about eight hours. Unilever bought the company in 2016 in a deal reported at $1 billion. The lesson: a founder can be a strong on-camera asset for a young brand. The video worked because of a tight, sharply written script, careful comic timing and a presenter who believed in it.

What every great brand video has in common

Across those examples, and in brand videos for organizations of many sizes, the same elements tend to show up.

• One idea. "Women underestimate their own beauty." "Real food comes from real farms." If you cannot say the idea in one sentence, it will be hard for viewers to take away.
• A human at the center. A founder, a customer, an employee, a student, a farmer. People connect with people, not logos.
• Show, do not claim. Process, evidence and real moments are more convincing than adjectives. Instead of calling your work "innovative," show it being built.
• A distinct look and sound. Color, music, pacing and framing that match the brand and stay consistent across cutdowns.
• An ending that tells people what to feel or do. Visit, apply, give, join, follow.

Brand video ideas

If you are stuck on a concept, start with one of these angles and adapt it.

• The origin story. Why the organization started, told by the founder on location where it began.
• The mission in action. Follow the work for a day: the service delivered, the student taught, the patient helped.
• The customer's world. Center the people you serve. Your brand is the supporting character.
• The craft. Slow, detailed footage of how your product or service is made. It works especially well for makers, restaurants, clothing brands and trades.
• The manifesto. A written statement of belief read in voiceover over strong imagery. Requires excellent writing.
• The team. Short portraits of the people who make the work happen, cut together into one film.
• The milestone. An anniversary or expansion as the frame for telling the whole story.
• The community. For churches, schools, nonprofits and local businesses, the neighborhood itself can be the main character.

For clothing brand videos and other product-driven brands, combine the craft angle with the community angle: how it is made, and who wears it.

Personal brand videos for founders and executives

A personal brand video does for a person what a brand video does for a company. Founders, executives, consultants, authors, speakers, pastors and candidates use them to introduce themselves to audiences they have not met yet: investors, boards, conference organizers, media bookers, voters and clients.

What a strong personal brand video includes:

1. A clear point of view. Not a résumé read aloud. What do you believe about your field that others do not?
2. Proof. Footage of you doing the work: speaking, leading a meeting, on a job site, with the people you serve.
3. A natural on-camera interview. Shot with professional light and sound and directed, so you sound like yourself on a good day.
4. Short versions. A 60 to 90 second main film, a 30-second version and several vertical clips of your best lines.
5. Matching stills. Shoot your professional headshots on the same day so the video, the website and the speaker bio share one look.

Executives often worry they are not good on camera. Few people feel comfortable at first. A director who conducts the interview as a conversation, lets you restart freely and builds the story in the edit can make a large difference in how natural you sound.

How to plan a brand video

1. Write the one-sentence idea. Test it with people outside the organization.
2. Pick the audience. Prospects, recruits, donors, partners. You can serve more than one, but rank them.
3. Choose the story structure. Origin, mission in action, customer world, manifesto or team.
4. Cast the people. Real staff, customers and leaders who can speak with feeling. Pre-interview them by phone.
5. Scout and plan locations. Places that show the work, not just a nice backdrop.
6. Decide the look. Reference films, color palette, music style and pacing, agreed before the shoot.
7. Plan every deliverable. Main film, short cuts, vertical cuts, captioned versions and stills.
8. Shoot with a professional crew. Interviews with controlled light and sound, then b-roll that proves every point.
9. Edit for emotion first, information second. Then add music, graphics, captions and color.
10. Launch it on purpose. A homepage update, an email to your list, native posts on each platform, and a screening at your next event.

For a detailed look at process and budgets, see our guides to corporate video production and video production costs.

Brand video length and platforms

These lengths are working ranges from production practice. Platforms have raised their limits (Instagram expanded Reels uploads to three minutes in January 2025, and YouTube raised Shorts to three minutes in October 2024), but the allowed length is not always the ideal length. Make the opening seconds count, and add captions for people watching with the sound off.

Mistakes that sink brand videos

• Trying to say everything. Too many messages in one video blur the main point.
• Leading with the logo. Open on a person or a moment, not an animated logo sting.
• Stock footage as the story. Viewers often recognize it, and it says little about you specifically.
• Weak audio. A beautiful image with hollow sound looks less professional.
• No plan for cutdowns. If vertical versions are not planned at the shoot, they will be awkward crops later.
• Relying on templates. A brand video's purpose is to show what is distinct about you, and a generic template makes that harder.

Frequently asked questions

What is a brand video?

A brand video is a short film that shows what an organization or person stands for and why it exists, rather than selling a specific product. It usually runs 60 seconds to three minutes and is used on the homepage, at events and across social channels. It often sets the tone for other content you make.

What are some good brand video examples?

Well-documented examples include Apple's "1984," which introduced the Macintosh during Super Bowl XVIII, Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches," which won the Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2013, Chipotle's "Back to the Start," winner of the 2012 Cannes Film Grand Prix, and Nike's "Dream Crazy," which won the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. Each sells an idea about the brand rather than a product feature.

What are some brand video ideas?

Strong starting points include an origin story told by the founder, the mission in action over one day, a film centered on the people you serve, a close look at your craft or process, a written manifesto in voiceover, and short team portraits. Pick one idea and one audience per video.

What is a personal brand video?

A personal brand video introduces a founder, executive, speaker, consultant or candidate to people who have not met them yet. It combines an on-camera interview with footage of the person doing their work, and it is usually delivered as a 60 to 90 second film plus short vertical clips. It works best when shot on the same day as matching headshots.

How long should a brand video be?

For a website or event screen, 60 seconds to three minutes. For social platforms, cut 15 to 60 second vertical versions, and for paid ads, 6 to 30 seconds. On social feeds, the opening seconds matter most.

What makes the best brand video?

Strong brand videos usually have one clear idea, a real person at the center, footage that shows rather than claims, a distinct look and sound, and an ending that tells viewers what to do next. Professional sound, light and editing help those elements come through.

How much does a brand video cost?

Vidico's 2026 data puts brand films and commercials at $15,000 to $50,000 or more, and Levitate Media's 2026 guide lists basic brand films from $5,000 to $12,000, with premium multi-day films at $25,000 to $60,000 or more. Planning several deliverables from one shoot (main film, cutdowns, testimonials and stills) gets the most from the budget.

How Leo Operations approaches this

Leo Operations is a national video production and photography company headquartered in Nashville, founded in 2019 by Rodriquez Wright II. We have 56 films on our YouTube channel and have produced recruitment and enrollment films for charter schools, a graduation and recruitment film for the Music City Construction Careers union pre-apprenticeship program, event films for Tennessee State University, and a Sierra Club documentary in Phoenix. Organizations we have worked with include the Memphis Grizzlies, Meharry Medical College, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, and the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative.

Brand and personal brand films start with a planning conversation that pins down the one idea, the audience and every deliverable in writing. We build stories around real people, direct interviews so leaders sound like themselves, and shoot headshots and stills on the same day so every channel shares one look. See our video production work for examples.

If you are planning a brand video for your organization or yourself, email us your idea, audience and timeline, and we will tell you honestly what it takes.