What can we learn from 'This is a Generic brand Video'?
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 9:52 am
Column – I know: the video dates back to 2014, but even after the hype, we can learn something from it. For those who missed it, a short introduction. It started, almost exactly 2 years ago, as a cynical poem by Kendra Eash that viciously dissected the corporate brand video with a healthy dose of sarcasm and irony. Dissolve, a stock video site, decided to bring this 'Generic Brand Video' to life with images from their own catalog, with this as the result:
This striking form of self-mockery earned them the Shorty Award for best B2B video in 2015 and the Anvil Award for Self Promotion of 2015.
Reactions on social media
Twitter also reacted enthusiastically to the 'advertisement for everything and yet nothing' and the irony.
But there was also negative commentary to be read among the reactions. Negative commentary that was not about the video itself, but about corporate videos in general. A selection:
“This is a pretty brilliant way of making clear what branding is not.”
“Pretty brilliant parody of soulless generic corporate videos. Just need to add a logo.”
"Brilliant! Storytelling the wrong way.”
“If you recognize your own #corporatefilm in this, then it is really time for something different.”
“How relatable do you find this video? #brandvideo It says it all: there are so many meaningless commercials.”
“Hilarious video about the nonsense of corporate videos.”
Perhaps this generic fire video is indeed the corporate version of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey , which is also detested in feature films when the skeleton is too clearly visible. Such videos really exist, otherwise it could not be parodied. An example:
Image poverty & 'the great logo show'
But it is still better than all those corporate films with too many talking heads and meaningless images of people typing in the office, while it is about the quality of a flower bulb or something like that. Better than a video with typical meaningless jazzy business class-like corporate music or a sterile dance track, that starts with a logo, a car with a logo, a flag with a logo, the building with a logo and continues at the reception with a logo in the background and a receptionist who answers with “Good afternoon, this is [insert logo].”
And then it continues with an overly long monologue by the director that is intercut with random images in and around the building to cover up the gaps between different takes . Viewers don't need a logo show; they want to know what a company or product can do for them.
The power of images
Let's look beyond the formulaic structure, beyond the irony. What this video shows us is the power of images and their associations. How you can use clichés to clarify a story and how you can reinforce a message with visual metaphors. How (spoken) text and image form a dance. And when that dance is in harmony, it has impact.
'This is a Generic Brand Video' teaches us that for most words and concepts, there are images that can depict them. This means that you don't have to settle for the office as the setting for a boring corporate film. That you can also look outside the company building to see where the company is relevant and how you can convey that visually. That you can show what the company ultimately does to make the customer's life easier, more beautiful or more fun and what that life will look like.
Think about what you have to say
This means that you can make (or have made) much more engaging videos, if you take the time to think about how you show what you have to say. In other words; if you do use video, use the visual power of the medium. Sound is also very important, but we are not going to talk about that here.
If you are going to use video, then make sure you use the visual power of the medium.”
Of course a logo is part of it, otherwise no one will recognize the sender, but the video should not be about where you have stuck that logo. It should be about why people need you. And generally that is not because there are people typing in the office: that is simply a supporting component that makes the result possible. Although, if you make software, both the making process and the use of it often consist of computers. But then you can still film what can be achieved with it, instead of starting with typing.
Emotions
So dare to start with visions of the future, emotions or problem statements instead of “we make this…”. And it doesn’t have to be overly pompous like in the Generic Brand Video.
This video could easily have started with a lot of typing and “We make complex software…”, but instead it starts with the issues that can be solved with it. There are clearly stock videos in here, but they do clearly visualize what it is all about.
This striking form of self-mockery earned them the Shorty Award for best B2B video in 2015 and the Anvil Award for Self Promotion of 2015.
Reactions on social media
Twitter also reacted enthusiastically to the 'advertisement for everything and yet nothing' and the irony.
But there was also negative commentary to be read among the reactions. Negative commentary that was not about the video itself, but about corporate videos in general. A selection:
“This is a pretty brilliant way of making clear what branding is not.”
“Pretty brilliant parody of soulless generic corporate videos. Just need to add a logo.”
"Brilliant! Storytelling the wrong way.”
“If you recognize your own #corporatefilm in this, then it is really time for something different.”
“How relatable do you find this video? #brandvideo It says it all: there are so many meaningless commercials.”
“Hilarious video about the nonsense of corporate videos.”
Perhaps this generic fire video is indeed the corporate version of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey , which is also detested in feature films when the skeleton is too clearly visible. Such videos really exist, otherwise it could not be parodied. An example:
Image poverty & 'the great logo show'
But it is still better than all those corporate films with too many talking heads and meaningless images of people typing in the office, while it is about the quality of a flower bulb or something like that. Better than a video with typical meaningless jazzy business class-like corporate music or a sterile dance track, that starts with a logo, a car with a logo, a flag with a logo, the building with a logo and continues at the reception with a logo in the background and a receptionist who answers with “Good afternoon, this is [insert logo].”
And then it continues with an overly long monologue by the director that is intercut with random images in and around the building to cover up the gaps between different takes . Viewers don't need a logo show; they want to know what a company or product can do for them.
The power of images
Let's look beyond the formulaic structure, beyond the irony. What this video shows us is the power of images and their associations. How you can use clichés to clarify a story and how you can reinforce a message with visual metaphors. How (spoken) text and image form a dance. And when that dance is in harmony, it has impact.
'This is a Generic Brand Video' teaches us that for most words and concepts, there are images that can depict them. This means that you don't have to settle for the office as the setting for a boring corporate film. That you can also look outside the company building to see where the company is relevant and how you can convey that visually. That you can show what the company ultimately does to make the customer's life easier, more beautiful or more fun and what that life will look like.
Think about what you have to say
This means that you can make (or have made) much more engaging videos, if you take the time to think about how you show what you have to say. In other words; if you do use video, use the visual power of the medium. Sound is also very important, but we are not going to talk about that here.
If you are going to use video, then make sure you use the visual power of the medium.”
Of course a logo is part of it, otherwise no one will recognize the sender, but the video should not be about where you have stuck that logo. It should be about why people need you. And generally that is not because there are people typing in the office: that is simply a supporting component that makes the result possible. Although, if you make software, both the making process and the use of it often consist of computers. But then you can still film what can be achieved with it, instead of starting with typing.
Emotions
So dare to start with visions of the future, emotions or problem statements instead of “we make this…”. And it doesn’t have to be overly pompous like in the Generic Brand Video.
This video could easily have started with a lot of typing and “We make complex software…”, but instead it starts with the issues that can be solved with it. There are clearly stock videos in here, but they do clearly visualize what it is all about.