Last updated on 17th May 2024
In this article we’re going to take a look at 10 of the best product launch videos EVER.
There’s a well circulated statistic that 95% of new products fail. One of the best ways to protect your product from this is to create an amazing launch video that can boost the initial success of your product.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the best product launch videos ever and see what we can learn!
What’s a product launch video and why do you need one?
It’s also a quick, engaging, and shareable way to explain your product to potential customers.
10 Best product launch videos ever
1. Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club is the king of all product launch videos! This video launched a tiny startup into a billion dollar business!
The video was made in one day for $4,500 back in 2012. Hours later, their site crashed from too much traffic. Days later, they had sold 12,000 razors. That year, they took in $3.5 million in revenue. And by 2016, the company was bought by Unilever for a reported $1 billion dollars.
According to the CEO and star of the video Michael Dubin, “Great storytelling is why we’ve been able to grow so fast.”
This video does all of the typical things that marketing videos usually do: It introduces the viewers’ problems, it explains how their product solves those problems, it lists the benefits of the product, and tells viewers what to do next.
It’s the way the story is told that makes this video so awesome and memorable. When telling viewers the simple fact that blades are shipped directly to customers, the visuals show the CEO cutting the package’s tape with a machete and throwing it to a person in a bear costume (who fails to catch it).
It’s random and risky. But that’s how far outside of the box you have to be if you want to go viral on YouTube!
(Need a video for your own startup? Visit our startup video production page for more information).
2. Communyco
Communyco is an app designed for creators, by creators. It’s a place for creators to connect, share advice, and build strong partnerships.
When Communyco came to Wyzowl for a product launch video, we knew they needed something super playful and energetic to stand out in the market and appeal to all the creatives out there.
This short and lively video tells viewers everything they need to know about Communyco, and it does so using fun and memorable animated characters.
3. PS5
This powerful video directed by Daniel Wolfe blends archive footage with live action shots to celebrate incredible human feats and stories of exploration.
The award-winning director, known for his bold and subversive vision, subtly included the iconic PlayStation shapes in the cinematic ad and this, paired with the voiceover “we are all explorers and there are new worlds to explore”, got fans extremely excited for the new console – Sony’s first in 7 years.
Adding to this, Sony’s VP of global marketing Mary Vee said:
“With the launch of a new generation of gaming on PlayStation 5, we want to reignite this desire of discovery in players by experiencing new worlds that push the limits of what is possible.”
4. Headspace
Meditation and mindfulness is prevalent in today’s world, but that wasn’t always the case. Since 2012, the number of people practicing meditation has tripled.
And Headspace might have a lot to do with that!
Headspace has successfully brought the idea of meditation to the everyday person. The app has been downloaded 65 million times, has over 2 million subscribers, and has been valued at around $320 million.
When they entered the video marketing game, they decided the best way to launch their product would be through a classic animated explainer video.
This video is one of the best for many reasons. For starters, it introduces the unique and whimsical Headspace style that is easily recognisable today.
It lists all of the ways meditation can benefit people, explains that it’s useful for everyone, and then proceeds to cover exactly how to use the app.
5. Google Glass
You’d struggle to find a product that bombed as hard as Google Glass. Google reportedly lost $895 million on its ‘moonshot project’.
So, why is it even on this list?
Well, there’s a valuable lesson here. Sometimes a product launch video can be too good.
The video above is great. It’s engaging, it tells a story, and it presents the product as really intuitive and exciting.
However, the reality was far from that. When the Google Glass was released it could barely do what an average smartphone could. It could check messages, take pictures, and browse the internet – but that was about it.
Add to that the fact that it only had a battery life of around 4-5 hours, wasn’t comfortable or convenient to wear, and cost $1,500 – and you have a recipe for disaster.
Of course, the amazing product launch video isn’t wholly to blame for this. But it did present the product as a cool new tool that augmented reality, and that didn’t end up being the case.
So, although you want to generate buzz with your product launch video, make sure you stay true to what you’re offering so that you can successfully manage customer expectations.
6. Meatless Meatball Marinara (Subway)
For part of 2020’s “Veganuary” – a month-long challenge that encourages people to try out a vegan lifestyle for the month of January – Subway launched their “meatless meatball marinara”.
This funny ‘mockumentary-style’ video was a great way for Subway to get people talking about this new product, and also a tongue-in-cheek way for them to point out how similar this sub is (in both looks and taste) to the original meatball marinara.
The sub was such a success that Subway added it to their menu permanently, and they even won Best Vegan Sandwich at PETA’s Vegan Food Awards 2020.
7. Poo-Pourri
Poo-Pourri is a company that creates fragrant sprays for toilets. And, as you can imagine, they don’t take themselves too seriously!
This cleverly written video went viral when it was posted all the way back in 2013, gaining 10 million views in just 2 weeks and generating $4 million worth of back orders.
The company now has a whole host of popular videos on their YouTube channel, with the channel’s view count currently over 130 million!
What makes this product launch video so great is that it’s funny, absurd, and really different to most ads that internet users come across these days.
On top of that – as we’ve already mentioned – it has an amazing script! We’ve got a great article you can check out if you want to learn more about writing scripts for your videos: How to Write a Video Script (Template Included).
8. Pokemon Go
There are a lot of similarities between this launch video and the one for Google Glass. Both imagine an augmented reality made amazing by their product. The difference is that Pokemon Go really lived up to the hype.
Users LOVED this game. Despite the app’s launch being staggered, Pokemon Go revenue still broke records in its first month, at $207 million.
And while this initial hype died down, the app itself is still going strong, surpassing $4 billion in lifetime revenue in 2020.
This product launch video is the perfect example of how to create hype and generate buzz. This is especially important if you’re launching an app as that initial download period really matters for app store rankings.
9. Disney+
Disney released this video ahead of their launch for their streaming service, Disney+. Streaming was already a saturated market at the time, but with this one video Disney showed a wide variety of all of the unique content they had to offer.
This smartly edited montage of footage from TV shows and movies that people really care about – a lot of content people remember fondly from childhood – paired with a cinematic soundtrack made this the perfect launch video for the platform.
10. Wild
The popularity of natural deodorants has sky-rocketed in recent years with more consumers looking for sustainable, environmentally-friendly products. According to Grand View Research, the market is expected to be worth $158 billion by 2025.
Wild is relatively new on the scene but made an amazing early impression, raising £500K in seed capital and making 20,000 sales in its first 20 days of business.
This fun, story-led video does a great job of covering who Wild deodorant is for and all of the reasons people should buy it.
Complete with humorous characters and tongue-in-cheek jokes, it’s definitely a different approach for a product launch in the natural deodorant space, but maybe that’s why it’s so great!
Final thoughts
Launching a new product is exciting, but it’s also a little bit daunting!
The best way to hit the ground running is with an engaging, shareable video that tells potential customers all about what your product is, how it works, and why they need it.
Click to find out more about product videos and how to get started with your own.