Commercial Video Production

An advertising video — also called a commercial or advertising film — is a short film of 15 to 45 seconds with at least one of three goals: more sales, more awareness, a stronger image. The plot usually follows three beats: an unusual situation, a surprising twist, a call to action. Almost anything goes: live action with actors, pure animation, 3D, or a mix such as live action with motion design.

The spot runs wherever your audience is looking: TV, cinema, social media, website, point of sale. Unlike an image film or product video it only has seconds — so every shot, every cut and every word counts. Videodesign has produced commercials since 2012, for SBB, Intel and PostFinance — from the idea to the airing.

In practice, none — all three mean the same short film that advertises your brand, product or company. "Commercial" comes from TV and cinema and emphasises the booked airing, "advertising film" is the classic term, "advertising video" the most common today — shaped by social media and online advertising, where videos are distributed rather than aired.

For production the word changes nothing: you need an idea that ignites in seconds, imagery that carries your USPs, and clean craft from script through shoot or animation to editing, colour grading and sound design. Videodesign has produced this one product under all three names since 2012 — cut to fit your channel: TV-ready, square for the feed, vertical for stories and reels.

From around CHF 5,000 — upwards, the budget is open, depending on how ambitious idea and rollout are. The price is set by film length, number of actors, purpose (TV advertising needs more production depth than a social media promotion), live action or motion design, and the scope of post-production. An animated spot is often cheaper than a shoot: no casting, no locations, no permits.

At Videodesign the fixed price applies — the amount in the quote is the amount on the invoice, no small print. Reply within 12 hours, free PDF quote with package, services and dates within 24 hours. In the consultation we tell you honestly which concept reaches your goal — even if it is the cheaper one.

From about four weeks. The more elaborate the shoot, the more time: organising premises, props and permits, casting, coordinating everyone involved — plus post-production with editing, colour grading, animation and sound design. An animated spot without a shooting day is quicker to schedule than a live-action film with several locations. We fix the binding timeline in the kick-off workshop, counted backwards from your airing date — campaign launch, trade fair or media plan slot.

After that you know when we deliver and when we need your feedback. Before that, things move fast: reply within 12 hours, free PDF quote within 24 hours. Tell us your deadline in the first conversation — we'll tell you honestly whether it holds, so your spot is on air in time.

In five steps. Kick-off workshop: we dig into your topic, define the core message and USPs and clear up open questions. Concept: storyline and strategy for your advertising film; in parallel our voice artists record demos, and you choose the voice. Visual implementation: the storyboard — for live action the shoot begins, for animation we design your personal style.

Finalisation: animation, editing, colour grading and sound design. Video marketing: we distribute your commercial on every channel, analyse the performance and optimise your reach. In every step you give feedback before we move on, and your contact person stays the same. The result: a spot that fits your channel and is ready in time for your campaign.

For anyone who wants more than visibility in their own circle: raise awareness, build trust in the brand, grow reach, open up new audiences — in short, increase sales. Company size doesn't matter; the message does. A consumer product benefits from an emotional TV or cinema spot, a digital offering from a pointed social media video, a brand from a branding spot that works on every platform even without a voice-over — see SmartFlex as live action with motion design, SBB Mobile as 3D animation, Intel Cashback as a TV commercial with animation.

One honest question first: advertise or explain? For products that need explaining a product video is often stronger, for complex topics an explainer video — a commercial condenses one message into seconds. What reaches your goal most directly is something we settle in the free consultation.

Because in 15 to 45 seconds there is no second chance: idea, timing, imagery and sound have to land — otherwise the media budget costs more than the production and still doesn't work. An agency also takes away the blind spots: you know your product inside out, we make it clear to people seeing it for the first time. At Videodesign a team with over ten years in the video industry and several thousand realised video projects is at work — from TV spots for Intel to 3D animation for SBB.

Everything from one source: concept, strategy, shoot or animation, post-production, distribution with performance analysis if you wish. Plus fixed prices without small print and one dedicated contact from A to Z. A professional commercial happens when professionals get to work.

Both — often the combination is strongest. Live action brings people, places and emotion: ideal when your product is tangible or real faces should build trust. Animation brings freedom: it shows what no camera can film, sets colours and pace to your branding and needs no shoot logistics — quicker to schedule, often cheaper.

Examples: SmartFlex as live action with motion design, SBB Mobile as a pure 3D animation spot, Intel Cashback as a TV commercial with animated elements. Three questions decide: What shows your message most clearly? Where will the spot run — TV demands a different pace than the social feed?

What does the budget allow? With in-house animation production and a film crew network we advise you with no vested interest in the pricier option. More craft on our 3D video & animation page.