Complex products don’t usually fail because they’re bad. They fail because people don’t get them fast enough. You’ve got maybe 10 seconds to make someone think, “Ah, I see. This is for me.” If that moment doesn’t happen, they bounce, they ignore the demo request, or they go with the competitor who explains it better.
That’s why brands keep coming back to animated explainer videos. Done well, they turn a tangled product story into something clean, visual, and surprisingly human. If you want a reference point for what that looks like in practice, check out DreamingFish animated explainer videos. It’s a good example of how animation can carry clarity without making the message feel stiff.
Let’s dig into why this format works so well, and how to use it without ending up with a generic “cartoon marketing video” that everyone forgets.
Why complexity is such a conversion killer
Most businesses with complex offerings tend to explain things like this:
- feature list
- feature list
- feature list
- and then, almost as an afterthought, a benefit
That’s backwards. People don’t buy features. They buy outcomes: saving time, reducing risk, making money, looking competent, sleeping better at night. When an offer is complex, the brain looks for shortcuts. If it can’t find them, it checks out.
An animated explainer gives you those shortcuts. It turns abstract ideas into visible relationships: problem → solution → result. And because it’s visual, people don’t have to work as hard to understand it.
What makes animated explainers uniquely effective
Explainers aren’t new, but animation has a few advantages that live-action and text alone struggle to match.
You can show the invisible
How do you “show” an API working? Or a logistics system optimizing routes? Or a cybersecurity solution blocking threats? You can’t film that in real life without it looking like someone typing dramatically on a laptop.
Animation lets you visualize the invisible. Data flows become lines. Risks become obstacles. Systems become moving parts. The viewer understands the concept, even if they’re not technical.
You control the viewer’s attention
In a live-action video, the viewer can get distracted by the background, the person on camera, the setting, the lighting. In animation, you choose what matters in every frame. You guide the eye, and you guide the understanding.
This is especially useful when you need to teach quickly.
You simplify without dumbing down
There’s a difference between “simple” and “shallow.” Great explainers keep the intelligence of the product while removing the confusion around it.
Think of it like translating something complex into plain language without insulting the audience.
It scales across channels
A strong animated explainer isn’t just “one video.” It becomes a content asset you can repurpose:
- homepage hero section
- paid ads and social snippets
- sales decks
- onboarding and support
- investor presentations
- event screens
That’s one of the reasons marketing teams love them: they keep paying off.
The real job of an explainer video: not to impress, but to clarify
If you remember one thing, make it this: the best explainer videos aren’t “creative.” They’re clear.
People often get obsessed with style choices (2D vs 3D, characters vs icons, bright vs minimal). Those choices matter, but they’re not the point. The point is to make a viewer think:
- “I understand what this is.”
- “I understand why it matters.”
- “I can imagine using it.”
- “I trust these people.”
If your explainer doesn’t do those four things, it’s just motion graphics with a voiceover.
The structure that works for complex products
There are plenty of formats, but most effective explainers follow a simple narrative arc. Not because it’s formulaic, but because it respects how people process information.
1) The relatable problem
Start with a real pain, not a vague “business challenge.” If the pain is too generic, the viewer assumes the solution will be generic too.
Bad: “Companies struggle with efficiency.”
Better: “Your team spends hours chasing updates across five tools, and decisions still happen too late.”
2) The “why now” tension
This is where you show urgency without melodrama. What’s changed in the world that makes this problem more expensive or more risky?
3) The simple explanation of the solution
Not everything. Just the core mechanism. The viewer should be able to repeat it back in one sentence.
4) The proof points
This is where you earn trust: outcomes, results, or credible claims. Not fluff. Not “cutting-edge.” Real value.
5) The next step
A clear CTA. Book a demo, start a trial, download the guide, whatever fits the funnel.
Where animated explainers shine the most
Animated explainer videos are useful across industries, but they’re especially powerful for:
SaaS and B2B tech
If your product is intangible, your story needs visual scaffolding. Animation gives you that.
Financial services and fintech
Anything involving processes, compliance, or “invisible” systems can be explained clearly without overwhelming people.
Healthcare and medtech
When you have complexity plus sensitivity, animation can explain without triggering “too clinical” or “too scary” vibes.
Education and training
Explainers work as internal enablement too. Not just marketing. Onboarding, training, product updates, new feature walkthroughs.
Consumer products with a new concept
If you’re introducing something unfamiliar, animation can speed up understanding dramatically.
Common mistakes that make explainer videos forgettable
The internet is full of explainers that technically explain something… but still don’t land. Here’s why.
Trying to cover everything
If your product does ten things, the explainer should highlight the one or two that matter most to the target audience. Curiosity beats completeness.
Writing like a brochure
When the script sounds like a website header, it dies. Real viewers want a real voice. Short sentences. Concrete examples. A rhythm that feels human.
Overloading the visuals
Animation doesn’t mean constant movement. If every second has new elements flying in, people get tired. Calm clarity beats visual fireworks.
Forgetting the brand
An explainer should feel like your company, not like a template. Tone, pacing, visual language, and humour (if you use it) should align with how you want to be remembered.
How to get more ROI from one explainer
Here’s a practical approach: don’t treat the explainer as a one-off production. Treat it as the “source file” for a whole mini-library of content.
From a single 60–90 second explainer, you can create:
- 3–5 short ad cuts (6–15 seconds)
- a silent captioned version for social
- a product page loop of the key scene
- a GIF set for emails and landing pages
- a sales intro clip for reps
- onboarding snippets for users
This is where animation becomes a smart investment, not just “a nice video.”
Final thought: clarity is a competitive advantage
The companies winning today aren’t always the ones with the most advanced product. Often, they’re the ones who explain their value in a way that makes people feel confident.
Animated explainer videos do that better than almost any other format when the product is complex. They reduce friction, build trust, and shorten the time between “What is this?” and “Okay, I want it.”
If your offering takes too long to understand, you’re paying for that complexity every day in lost attention and weaker conversions. A great explainer is how you stop that leak and start telling the story the way people actually listen.
