BELFAST-based digital agency Sugar Rush Creative has opened the doors of a new animation studio dedicated to 'moving illustration' advertising.
Animate Studios, run by Sugar Rush managing director Alistair MacFarlane, represents an investment of £150,000 and will bring three new jobs over the next 12 months.
Awarded membership to the Institution of Creative Advertising in Dublin after almost two decades of commercial experience, Mr MacFarlane is already well known for designing apps and websites for high profile names and brands.
Now, he believes animation is an "untapped market" with huge potential as a modern-day marketing tool.
"Animation is a great tool for businesses to use because it has reached a level of public acceptance where we understand it, we’re used to seeing it, and we respect it as a skilled production," he said.
"But it also brings benefits beyond live action videos and advertisements, not least the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple, quick way.
"That is really important for catching those first few seconds of consumer attention online before they scroll.
"The Northern Ireland film industry is the obvious choice for plaudits when it comes to global recognition of our creative sectors.
"However, it’s the field of animation where the unsung work is quietly building momentum. And its a very exciting place to be right now."
The agency boss said Northern Irish animation studios were receiving award nominations at the "highest level", from Emmy to Bafta, and demand for services was mounting outside the entertainment sector, as clients sought new means of taking their message to "the next level".
"Social media imagery isn’t enough; they want their own Snapchat geofilters," he added.
"Display advertisements aren’t converting; they need moving illustrations to attract attention. Website service pages aren’t engaging enough, they want animated explainer videos."
Short animations and animated explainers have become a trendy marketing tool, he said, but they require "effort and knowledge" to work well.
"We look after all the elements of a project, from writing the script, to drafting a storyboard, designing original illustrations, delivering a voice-over and creating animation ready for web.
"Our clients have received high conversion rates when uploading their animations to their website and social media channels."
And, in terms of business benefits, the numbers suggest it is a worthwhile investment from marketing budgets, too, with animated explainer videos increasing conversion rates by 20 per cent, according to Unbounce.
"Popular online file storage/sharing company, Dropbox, was one of the first to experiment with animated marketing videos and saw a 10 per cent conversion increase from their explainer video, making $50 million in additional revenue in 2012 alone," Mr MacFarlane said.
"Now, more businesses want a piece of that pie and our team at Animate Studios have all the skills needed to serve it up."
