Pick a 2D character explainer when your story is about people, and motion graphics when your story is about a system. A character works when the viewer needs to recognise themselves in a problem: a clinic manager buried in forms, a founder chasing late invoices. Motion graphics work when the value lives in something you can’t point a camera at: data, an AI model, a workflow, an integration. Many SaaS videos use both.
The choice matters because each style is strong at a different job. Below are the current numbers, what is changing in video this year, and a checklist you can use today.
Key numbers at a glance
What the research says about characters, animation and style
What is the difference between a 2D explainer and motion graphics?
A 2D explainer tells a story through illustrated characters and scenes. Motion graphics explain an idea with animated shapes, icons, type, charts and simplified interfaces. Both are 2D animation; the difference is whether a person carries the story.
| 2D character explainer | 2D motion graphics | |
|---|---|---|
| Built from | Illustrated characters, scenes, expressions | Shapes, icons, type, charts, simplified UI |
| Carries the story | A person with a problem | The idea, product or data itself |
| Best for | Customer stories, healthtech, onboarding, consumer apps | SaaS, AI, fintech, dev tools, data products |
| Feels | Warm, human, memorable | Clean, modern, precise |
| Watch out for | A character that doesn’t look like your buyer | “Pretty but vague” motion with no clear story |
| Reuse | The character becomes a brand asset | The motion style becomes a reusable kit |
Animation is still the less crowded choice. In Wyzowl’s 2026 survey of 266 respondents, 51% of video marketers said live action is the main type of video they make, 23% said animated and 19% said screen recorded. Wyzowl calls animation “a unique opportunity for brands who want to stand out in their industry.”
Share of video marketers naming each as their main type of video.
When does a character explainer work best?
A character works best when your buyer’s pain is a human moment they will recognise. People follow people: the research on characters points to stronger emotion, attention and memory, which matters most when the viewer has to care before they understand.
Three findings back this up:
- Characters drive emotion and recall. Neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak found that “character-driven stories do consistently cause oxytocin synthesis,” and that “character-driven stories with emotional content result in a better understanding of the key points” (Harvard Business Review, 2014; full text via UC Berkeley).
- Characters help ads get noticed and linked to the brand. In an Ipsos chart from September 2024, ads featuring characters were 6.01 times as likely to be high performers on branded attention, against 2.84 times for celebrities. System1’s study of 2020–2023 Super Bowl ads found brand characters and branded situations averaged 3.8 Stars against 2.7 for celebrity ads, yet only 10% of ads used them (SmartBrief, January 2024).
- Animation helps people learn about health. An updated University of York systematic review of 88 trials found animations had positive effects in 80% of knowledge trials (48 of 60) and 63% of behaviour trials (20 of 32). The authors conclude that “video animations improve patient knowledge and behaviour in the short-term” (Moe-Byrne et al., Frontiers in Digital Health, 2025).
Keep expectations realistic. A meta-analysis of 43 studies with 3,088 participants found on-screen characters in learning materials “produced a small but significant effect on learning” (Schroeder, Adesope and Gilbert, 2013). A character helps; it doesn’t replace a clear script.
Good fits for characters: healthtech and patient education, HR and onboarding tools, consumer and marketplace apps, fintech for individuals, and any brand that wants a mascot it can reuse.
When do motion graphics work best?
Motion graphics work best when the value lives in a system rather than a person: data moving between tools, an AI model making a decision, a dashboard, a payment flow. Shapes and simplified UI can show these precisely, where a character would only stand and point.
Learning research supports keeping visuals lean. Richard Mayer’s coherence principle says people learn better when extraneous words, pictures and sounds are excluded, and his signaling principle says “people learn better when essential words are highlighted” (National University of Singapore, summarising Mayer, 2008). Motion graphics are built for this: every shape, highlight and transition exists to point the eye at the next idea.
Good fits for motion graphics: B2B SaaS, AI and LLM products, dev tools, data and analytics, cybersecurity, and B2B fintech such as payments infrastructure.
Should you combine both styles?
Yes, often. The strongest SaaS explainers frequently open with a character to make the problem human, then switch to motion graphics and animated UI to show how the product works, and return to the character for the result.
Here is how that hybrid fits our standard 60-second structure from the SaaS explainer video script template:
| Beat | Seconds | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | 15 | Character: the buyer in their real situation |
| Solution | 10 | Transition from character to product |
| How it works | 23 | Motion graphics and simplified UI |
| Proof | 7 | Motion graphics: a clear before and after |
| Call to action | 5 | Character returns, logo and one next step |
- Problem: character 0:00–0:15
- Solution: transition 0:15–0:25
- How it works: motion graphics 0:25–0:48
- Proof: motion graphics 0:48–0:55
- CTA: character returns 0:55–1:00
What is happening now, and why does it matter for style?
AI video tools are now normal, which makes generic visuals easier to make and harder to stand out with. In Wyzowl’s 2026 survey, 63% of video marketers had used AI video tools to create or edit marketing videos, up from 51% a year earlier (Wyzowl).
Wistia’s 2026 State of Video research, which surveyed nearly 1,000 marketers, found 62% of teams “are either already using AI in their video workflows or plan to start soon,” and the share of companies with in-house video teams rose from 36% to 54% in two years (Wistia, April 2026). Wistia’s own view: “The creative work that makes a video worth watching is still on us humans.”
What this means for your style choice this quarter:
- Distinctive beats generic. When stock-style AI visuals are everywhere, an owned character or a custom motion style is something competitors can’t copy. Google’s ABCD guidance for YouTube ads includes “Connect with emotion and storytelling” (Think with Google).
- Plan the cutdowns before you choose. LinkedIn says “7–15 second videos” see “up to a 300% lift in completion rates,” and that “a large portion of LinkedIn members will watch your ad with the sound off” (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions). A character needs a few seconds to set up, so plan which short beat each cutdown uses. Motion graphics with on-screen text read well without sound.
- Your homepage is the main stage. Wistia found homepage videos see a 24% play rate, higher than product, contact and thank-you pages (Wistia). Pick the style that makes your core promise clear to a first-time visitor in seconds.
Which style fits your product? A quick decision guide
Answer the questions below. If most of your ticks land in the first group, choose characters; the second, motion graphics; a split means a hybrid.
Lean towards a 2D character explainer if:
- Your buyer’s main pain is a human moment they will recognise (stress, lost time, a frustrated customer)
- You sell to patients, consumers, employees or small-business owners
- You want a mascot or character you can reuse in ads, social posts and onboarding
- Trust and warmth matter more than technical precision
Lean towards motion graphics if:
- Your value lives in data, integrations, AI or a workflow
- Your buyers are technical and want to see how it works
- You need many short cutdowns that work with the sound off
- Your UI will change soon, so simplified UI beats detailed screens
If you are still unsure, compare this with the other big format decision: whether you need an explainer or a product walkthrough, covered in explainer video vs product demo video.
How we help
We make both styles, so we recommend the one that fits your story rather than the one we prefer. Every project starts with the script; then we show style frames, either character sheets with key poses and expressions or a motion style board, before any animation starts. For hybrids, we design the character and the motion graphics as one system, so the switch from story to product feels natural. Characters we design for you become brand assets you can reuse. See our 2D explainer videos and 2D motion graphics work, or check costs with the price calculator.
Sources
- Wyzowl, State of Video Marketing 2026 (266 respondents, late 2025)
- Ipsos, “Celebrity casting call, stakes have never been higher,” Vanessa Harrington (September 2024)
- SmartBrief, “Report: Brand characters beat celebrities in Super Bowl ads,” on System1 Group research (January 2024)
- Moe-Byrne et al., “How effective are video animations as information tools for patients and the general public? An updated systematic review,” Frontiers in Digital Health (2025)
- Paul J. Zak, “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling,” Harvard Business Review (October 2014)
- Schroeder, Adesope & Gilbert, “How Effective are Pedagogical Agents for Learning? A Meta-Analytic Review,” Journal of Educational Computing Research (2013)
- National University of Singapore, “Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Instruction” (Mayer, American Psychologist, 2008)
- Wistia, “The Key Takeaways From Wistia’s 2026 State of Video Webinar,” Sam Balter (April 2026)
- Think with Google, “Creative best practices for YouTube ads” (Google/Kantar, 2021)
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, “Best practices for video ads”
