9 brand videos worth watching, and what they teach about doing it well

There's a long list of brand videos that win awards. There's a much shorter list of brand videos that move the metric the brand cares about. The list below is from the second category, videos that read clearly, tell a story, and end with a reason to do something. The pattern across all of them is small.

The nine

Reckon (explainer), accounting software simplified into a 60-second narrative. Lesson: a clear walkthrough beats a clever metaphor when the product is unfamiliar.

Koala (humour), durable furniture sold through quirk and timing. Lesson: humour belongs in product video when the brand can sustain it sober.

Smart Nora (problem-first), anti-snoring product opening on the relationship pain, not the device. Lesson: lead with the problem, the product is relief.

Apple (sensory craft), every Apple product film is a tutorial in restraint. Lesson: the camera, music, and pacing carry the message; copy stays minimal.

Nike x Ted Lasso, borrowed cultural equity that lands because both brands stand for the same thing. Lesson: collabs work when the value alignment is real, not financial.

Shopify (founder voice), owners telling owners why the platform mattered. Lesson: peer testimonial outperforms hero testimonial in considered B2B.

CLIF Bar (origin), founders explaining why the bar exists, anchored in personal story. Lesson: origin films age well, ad films don't.

Visit Oslo (anti-tourism), a tourism ad that mocks tourism. Lesson: contrarian framing cuts through a category of sameness.

Specsavers (catchphrase), three decades of one tag line refined to perfection. Lesson: distinctive brand assets compound; reinventing every campaign throws that away.

What works across all nine

Eye-catching visuals, not flashy for the sake of it, but with intent. The frame, the colour palette, the way the camera moves carries the brand's tone the way copy used to.

Compelling storytelling, even a 30-second video has a beginning, middle, and end. The viewer remembers the shape of the story, not the individual moments.

Clear calls to action, not 'visit our site' tagged on the end, but a reason that matches the story's emotional pull. The Specsavers laugh ends with 'should've gone to Specsavers' for a reason.

How to make one

Start with the brief: what is the single thing this video has to do? Build awareness, sell a product, change a perception, capture leads, pick one. Trying to do all four produces video that does none.

Storyboard before you shoot. The cheapest place to fix a video is on a piece of paper. The most expensive is in post.

Shoot more than you think you need. Wide, medium, tight, and a few unexpected angles per setup. Editors will thank you and budgets will absorb the extra time on set far easier than a reshoot.

Cut for the platform. The video that works in a 30-second pre-roll is not the same as the 90-second LinkedIn post or the 15-second vertical. Brief the editor for the cut, not the source.