Neural Evidence behind Animated Logos
A study conducted by the School of Economics and Management at Wuyi University found scientific evidence on the impact of animation in modern marketing. As technology has continued to develop in this post-modern age, the design of stationary brand logos are no longer sufficient. Audiences are constantly bombarded with messages, advertisements, and notifications that create a need for something, new, advanced and eye-catching. Thus, the introduction of animated logos and brands came into the marketing scene.
However, what constitutes a good marketing animation? What is going to place one company logo above the rest? In Wuyi University's published study titled, "The effect of different animated brand logos on consumer response — an event-related potential and self-reported study," researchers introduced different animations to participants and studied the brain's reaction to two types of animation: agent and object. Agent animation is graphic movements that make the design seem "alive." These animations imply a sense of gravity and force propelling the animation. In contrast, object animation does not pinpoint a source of energy and is seen as more passive and embody a "corporate" movement. For instance, consider Duolingo's animated logo of the jumping owl verses Disney+'s logo of the half-circle swoosh. The jumping owl implies gravitational force, while the animated curve of the Disney+ line does not indicate an origin of motion.
After measuring the brain's response to these animations, researchers discovered that agent animation "increased participants' attentional resources," (Peng et al., 2022). Meaning, that participants devoted more of their neural "resources" or attention to the agent animation over the object animation. Cognitive stimulus was significantly increased when presented with agent animation, as indicated by the higher levels of the N100 amplitude.
Additionally, not only were agent animations more attention-grabbing than object, but participants self-reported a increased positive "investment, perception of animacy, and brand attitude" for the agent animation's company (Peng et al., 2022).
Ultimately, this study is imperative to becoming an effective animator because it provides scientific evidence as to the type of animation most impactful to audiences. As I continue learning about animation and developing my own animated logos, knowing the importance of agent animation and including a gravitational pull to make motion seem "alive" will boost my chances of creating memorable designs, appealing to audiences, and having a successful project.
Works Cited:
Peng, M., Liang, M., Huang, H., Fan, J., Yu, L., & Liao, J. (2022, November 27). The effect of different animated brand logos on consumer response -- an event-related potential and self-reported study. Computers in Human Behavior. https://www.med.upenn.edu/pmi/events/https-www-sciencedirect-com-science-article-abs-pii-s1047847720300046-via-3dihub
Shaela, I think you are going to be very successful as you discover how to use animation effectively in your logo redesigns for Americana. It was impactful to read and understand the neurology of marketing, movement, our associated perceptions, and in turn our decisions. I admire that you are educating yourself on the foundational information of animated graphics to influence your design choices. I would recommend toying with some basic animation tutorials in whichever software you feel most comfortable with so that you have some experience as you are progressing through your design process.
ReplyDeleteHi Shaela, your sources are really solid and have a ton of great information in them. I think your research is going to help guide you tremendously in creating a successful product for your client. The research on animated logo best practices in particular stood out to me, and I think it is going to be useful in creating a logo that hooks the audience but also represents the organization well. It was also really intriguing to learn the neuroscience behind animated logos and how it is an impactful form of media for people. Great job!
ReplyDelete