by Mike Efford

If 3D animation is new territory for your company, take a few minutes to scan these 10 brief marketing case studies. They validate the use of this medium through sheer variety. If a group of companies this diverse has had major success using computer animation to market their products, then your company can score with this medium too.

Case Study #1:

Alcatel, a multinational technology firm, won a massive $650 million dollar contract with the London Underground Subway Lines to re - signal their subway tracks. A series of 3D animations demonstrated how Alcatel's systems would operate, showing each piece of gear operating at the right moment in a well - coordinated sequence of action. Executives from the London Underground quickly understood the essence of the technology, and awarded them the contract.

Case Study #2:

3M demonstrated their new Aldara skin cream to thousands of physicians across North America, with a CD-ROM featuring several 3D animations. They showed how this compound actually empowered the body's immune system to target and destroy skin cancer lesions. Doctors and patients who might be skeptical or fearful were reassured. Animation can literally be a life - saver.

Case Study #3:

Insta-Clean used 3D animation to zoom in to the micro - pore structure of a sponge made of a new, high tech material. Even photography through a microscope could not effectively demonstrate the significance of this structure, and why it was different from an ordinary sponge. Animation made it possible to show customers the key competitive strength of this deceptively simple - looking product.

Case Study #4:

MediFlow used 3D animation to reveal the features inside their innovative water - filled medical pillows and took the lead in North American sales in that product category. After two years the company was so successful they used their cash position to acquire a competitor. Once again, computer animation was able to help customers see exactly why a company's product was better.

Case Study #5:

Chalmers Truck Suspensions solved a difficult marketing problem with 3D animation, overcoming resistance to change in the conservative trucking industry. Their premier suspension system was innovative and unconventional. They produced a sales video with 3D animations that showed how all the moving parts of their system worked together, and became one of the most popular of all suspensions with truckers and fleets across North America.

Case Study #6:

Jaguar used animation to showcase the inner workings of their V-12 engine, in a prominent television ad. The chrome hood ornament morphed into a floating engine, with all its cogs, gears and moving parts. The "fantasy" appeal of the ad made it impossible to ignore. All the car companies use animation to tell their technology stories. Jaguar was just a little more stylish at it. Good recall generated from a concept that only computer animation could accomplish.

Case Study #7:

Pickering Nuclear Reactor, just outside Toronto, Canada used animation to take visitors on a tour of the plant, and to explain how nuclear reactors work. Showing a range of viewpoints, from 2000 feet above the entire complex, down to an extreme zoom into the subatomic level, the animation's camera moves were impossible with conventional real - world camera gear.

Case Study #8:

Ashton - Potter, a printing systems manufacturer and printer of premium quality stamps, currencies and security - protected documents used 3D animation to propose an innovative solution to the U.S. Postal Service's request for a proposal. It had developed an integrated system for printing, numbering, perforating, slitting and packaging, all in one continuous sequence, a new type of peel - off stamp. Animation demonstrated the whole sequence in a cohesive flow, actually "flying" through the entire press. It proved to be a crucial component in the boardroom presentation that landed them a 112 million dollar contract.

Case Study #9:

Sarafinchin Geo - Engineering used animation to help save a piece of the southern shore of Barbados! They presented, using computer animation sequences, a simulation of what would happen if the government of Barbados chose to ignore the dangerous erosion underneath scenic shoreline cliffs. Restaurants, hotels and tourist's lives were at risk. The company's animated presentation led to their expertly engineered solution being adopted by the government.

Case Study #10:

The H2O vacuum was successfully marketed in infomercials across North America using computer animation to demonstrate how dirt, hair and even airborne bacteria are filtered and neutralized by this innovative appliance. 3D animation can make even dirt appear fascinating!


That's the 10 - minute success tour. If these companies can succeed with this medium, you can too!



For a more detailed downloadable PDF of 7 case studies compiled by one of the most experienced Toronto animation companies in the field of technical animation, click the link below:

Toronto Animation Companies Case Studies

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