We know that making predictions is a one-way ticket to the laughingstocks (like all those football pundits who predicted Leicester City would be relegated the season they won the Premier League). Just like we know there’s always a video trend which explodes that no one saw coming (hi Nutter Butter Tiktok account). Yet, despite the high risk of humiliation and tattered reputations, we’ve put together a list of video trends to look out for in 2025.
As we venture into 2025, the video landscape is poised for significant transformation. The digital world is evolving at breakneck speed, and with it, consumer expectations are reaching new heights. From AI-powered personalisation to immersive interactive experiences, the trends we’re about to explore offer a glimpse into the future of brand-audience connections.
In this rapidly changing environment, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage – it’s a necessity. The brands that will thrive are those that can seamlessly blend creativity with data-driven insights, authenticity and technological prowess. As we delve into these game-changing trends, remember that the ultimate goal remains unchanged: to create meaningful connections that resonate with your audience and drive real business results
So here it is, the Reels in Motion Top 8 Video Marketing Trends to watch out for in 2025.
Table of Contents
- AI Video for 2025
- Emotional Storytelling
- Short-form video with remain champion
- CSR and Sustainability
- Interactive videos
- Hyper Local Video Marketing
- Animated Video
- BlueSky
1. AI Video for 2025
In terms of influence and impact on video in 2025, there is only one place to start – AI. With this year seeing organisations adopting AI into their daily business processes, it is looking likely that 2025 will be the year where AI revolutionises video marketing and video production. The real question is how much and how widespread.
There is no doubt that the speed in which AI video tools are developing is increasing exponentially. The main question marks to date have been:
- How good is the quality of generative AI video?
- How will audiences react to and engage with content that is ‘knowingly’ AI?
To begin, let’s look at the possibility that 2025 may see major brands using 100% AI-generated videos. This means footage created without ANY filming or real people onscreen.
This has already been possible all through 23/24, but a combination of qualitative issues (AI’s struggle to create normal hands will remain a mystery) and not-so-user-friendly tools means it has not been replaced using actual cameras and people just yet. But how close are we to that changing?
Well, 2025 will see a huge improvement in both issues. As AI models become more advanced and deep learning is refined, we will see major advances in the realism of generative video. Current problem areas such as hands, facial expressions and likeness will develop to the point where it will be a genuine option for major brands. Complex scenes that require realistic environments, lighting and details will also be radically better.
But where AI will surely have the largest impact is as a tool to alter, improve and adapt video content that has been ‘created’ already. The possibilities on this front are limitless.
For example:
Your an organisation that has recorded a short 1x camera interview with your CEO. You want to release as a talking-head video. AI will allow us to analyse that existing footage to:
- Change the spoken words of the CEO (including getting them to say whatever you like)
- Add in multiple new camera angles
- Change the lighting effects
- Change the background environment (for example, if the message is aimed at a specific region such as Brazil, the CEO can deliver their message from the Copacabana beach)
- Add in AI generated music, text and titles.
To be clear, all of this (and more) is already possible. However, the quality, believability, and deliverability will improve to the level where it is achievable for brands of any size to use AI in some capacity. But as anyone who has experimented with these tools knows, it is not a ‘press of a button’ thing. It is a highly skilled, challenging, and technical process that requires trained experts to deliver the required quality.
Keep in mind, just because the possibilities are huge, audiences will still need skilful storytelling, creativity and engagement to connect with it.
Speaking of which…
2. Emotional Storytelling
This is by no means a new video trend, as brands of every scale have focused on building an emotional connection with their audiences through video content for many years.
However, 2024 saw a slight shift back towards simpler, more direct messaging instead of a narrative approach. This may be down to economic issues resulting in marketing budgets and scope being reined in to ‘survive until 2025’.
This shift appears to be over with brands already re-prioritising video content that focuses on emotional agenda over strategic agenda. At Reels in Motion, we believe that modern audiences (and therefore your views, impressions and engagements) connect more with video content that inspires and engages through storytelling, over more direct messaging.
Audiences are becoming more mindful of the brands they engage with, owing to over-exposure and scepticism surrounding advertisements and having less disposable income due to the economic climate.
Audiences are making thoughtful decisions on which brands they decide to part their money with. Remember that emotional storytelling doesn’t need to be a sad story. It’s about showcasing who you are. Ensuring you showcase your values, identity and purpose as a brand more important than ever to move new audiences down the sales funnel and create an authentic connection with your brand.
2025 will be a big year for brands who take this approach, so you can expect to see plenty of videos that focus on personality, human experience, and emotional connection.
3. Short-form video with remain champion
2025 is primed to be a less-is-more year for video marketing. As brands increasingly look to target younger, more social media savvy audiences, short-form video marketing will continue its rise to supremacy.
Video marketing campaigns that deliver powerful, poignant, and to-the-point stories offer a much wider route to success than longer format videos. Longer videos may work effectively on websites, landing pages and YouTube. However, a short sub-30s video will work across those platforms, plus be better suited to ALL of the major social media channels. They can also be used for PPC, TV commercials and SkyAdsmart video campaigns (more on this later).
For organisations concerned that shorter videos will not communicate everything they need, I have good news for you! An experienced, creative and strategic video agency will be able to take ANY core messaging you have and present a range of methods to deliver it effectively in under 30s.
Having said this, there are suggestions that longer-form videos are being popularised for other brand-building aspects. Documentary-style videos and detailed user reviews have been popping up to support marketing efforts – so don’t completely discount this style from your strategy. It’s about finding the right format to fit your goal and objective. Use short to grab attention, and longer to move those clients down the sales funnel.
4. CSR and Sustainability
As mentioned, audiences are making buying decisions not just on price, product and place, but on principles. Many of us want to know who we’re buying from, what their values are, and what they give back to people and the planet. Finding ways to communicate the good that your brand does will be more essential than ever in 2025.
It can be fine line to tread between ‘wow, these guys truly care and are making a real difference’ and appearing as though you are greenwashing. This essentially means you are claiming to be environmentally friendly when you are not. The same goes for charitable activities too. It’s important to showcase what you ACTUALLY do, and not just follow the trend.
Sharing your CSR or Sustainability successes through video allows you to highlight the work you do and the impact. It means audiences see, hear and feel the real human stories behind the work. Authenticity with your CSR & Sustainability marketing is key for audience buy-in and creating a genuine emotional connection.
It also allows you to personify the values and ethos of your company. For example, one of our clients – planet-saving sustainability heroes Slicker Recycling – not only wanted the video to showcase the good they do, but their fun, different, and innovative personality. The result was an award-winning video that was received incredibly well by audiences. Check out the full project and watch the video here.
5. Interactive Videos
Another game-changing technology trend for 2025 is interactive and shoppable videos. If you haven’t seen this yet, don’t panic, you will soon! Interactive videos allow viewers to engage directly with the products and services featured just by clicking on them.
Like the look of that lamp in the Ikea Ad? Click on the screen, get the price, order, pay and arrange delivery all without leaving the platform. Simples!
You will also see videos with real-time interactive communication methods built in too. Viewers will be able to participate in live chats, polls, quizzes, and votes as they’re watching the video.
This will be revolutionary for keeping your viewers engaged and on the page. More importantly, it means more opportunity for data collection so you can enhance your ROI tracking per video.
This is an exciting development that highlights a common theme across our 2025 predictions. Brands need to find unique and engaging ways to captivate audiences.
6. Hyper Local Video Marketing
Maybe the high street is dead, maybe ordering online is easier than going to a retail park, and maybe the corner shop is for ‘emergencies only’. But video marketing is about to get a lot more local. In fact, it’s going hyperlocal.
With brands and marketers having a huge volume of accurate geotargeting and segmentation data at their fingertips, 2025 will see videos tailor-made and delivered to specific geographical or cultural areas.
This could be as wide as a region, say Greater Manchester. It could be targeted to 40–50-year-old self-employed Females in the Midlands. It could even be a specific cul-de-sac in Henley-on-Thames in July.
This will allow brands to approach their video campaigns in a couple of ways.
Firstly, they could design a ‘main’ video for the campaign and then adapt it subtly to target a specific area or customer type. This could be as simple as changing the voiceover from a southern accent to a northern accent. It could use the same script but use different actors/presenters to deliver different edits. It could be the exact same content with a different call-to-action screen at the end. This approach is probably the most cost-effective way to deliver a wide range of hyperlocal video content.
Secondly, it will be possible to take a much more comprehensive approach to designing hyperlocal campaigns. With this approach, you are strategising a range of video content that is completely bespoke to your target area or demographic. Everything from core messaging, scripting, casting and style will be designed with the motivations and preferences of your target audience; whether this is 100,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent, or 20 high-value individuals who could influence policy change or secure investment.
This hyperlocal approach is available through multiple channels. From social media to out-of-home digital display advertising and everything in between. A great option is AdSmart from Sky. This allows tailored ads to be streamed through TV screens to specific areas or demographics. If you would like to know more about this technology and the benefits it offers, check out our previous blog.
7. Animated Video for 2025
10 years ago, animation was the undoubted boss of video marketing. Everyone was using animated videos to promote, inform and engage their audiences. Since then, the trend has swung away from animation back to live-action.
The backend of 2024 has seen a rise in animated videos, and it feels like the trend will continue into 2025.
Animated videos can be used for any marketing campaign and brand. A perfect use case, however, is when organisations need to show products/services/processes which are either a) hard to explain or b) cannot be ‘seen’. For example, explaining how a new platform or online tool works is hard (but not impossible) to do with live-action video, whereas an animated video can not only show the customer journey through the platform, but it can also show how the back-end process and benefits work – quickly and clearly.
There has also been a rise in businesses using text animation to display their core marketing messages. The ability to showcase USP’s swiftly on screen while audiences are mid-scroll has been a winner in capturing attention.
If you’re considering campaigns that require explainer videos, visualisations or short, snappy and clear social content, animation could be the way to go in 2025. If you’d like to know more about the power of animated videos, check out our blog here.
8. Bluesky
This is less of a prediction, and more of a ‘watch this space’. Since the mass exodus of users on Twitter/X after the Elon Musk takeover, the winner has been the previously elusive and secretive Bluesky. Initially, it was an exclusive club, where you had to be invited to create an account. It was a safe haven for the communities tired of the ease and promotion of aggressive and hurtful comments on Twitter.
In recent months, Bluesky has flung open its doors to all comers, and is now a genuine rival to X. The appeal of Bluesky is that it is designed to allow users much more control over the accounts that engage with their own. On Twitter/X, it is virtually impossible to avoid interaction with bots, trolls, and antagonists. On Bluesky, it is easy, quick and permanent to remove these unwanted interactions.
What has this got to do with video? Good question, and to be honest, it is hard to know at this stage as video is a relatively new function on Bluesky. However, in September 2024, Bluesky added the option of uploading and sharing videos under 60 seconds.
At time of writing, I wouldn’t say this has been a revolutionary moment for the platform. Having said this, as the creative communities continue to flock to Bluesky video will play an increasingly large role. It will be very exciting to see if any new or unique styles or formats develop over the course of 2025.
Embracing the Future of Video Marketing
As we look ahead to 2025, the video marketing landscape is set to evolve dramatically. From AI-powered personalisation to interactive experiences, the trends we’ve explored offer exciting opportunities for brands to connect with their audiences in more meaningful ways. The key takeaway is clear. Authenticity and innovation will be the driving forces behind successful video marketing strategies. Brands that can harness these trends while staying true to their unique voice will stand out in an increasingly crowded digital space.
Remember, it’s not just about following trends, but about using them creatively to showcase your brand’s personality and values. As video consumption continues to rise, the brands that will thrive are those that can adapt quickly, experiment boldly, and create content that resonates on a personal level with their target audience. Are you ready to revolutionise your video marketing strategy for 2025? The future of engagement awaits – and it’s more exciting than ever.
