Lessons from one of the most successful explainer videos ever: Video Marketing Examples #12

^{Obligatory disclaimer: This isn't an ad or sponsored content. We simply wanted to share this analysis with you as a great, recent example of video marketing.}

Nowadays, Dollar Shave Club is a well-loved brand, but the origins of the business could hardly be more humble: Did you know it all started when founder Michael Dubin was at a party in 2010, and his friend’s dad asked for his help in selling a surplus supply of 250,000 razors online?

Selling razors? Online? Really? No easy task. Not only was the market dominated by legit giants, it was seen as being immune from disruption and competition because of the lifelong nature of the relationship between a man and his blade. 

Dubin had the idea of changing things up by using a subscription model: Dollar Shave Club was born. 

They ambled along for a few months, managing to sign up 1,000 or so members through connections with bloggers. 

And then...they made the video. THE video.

“I have always believed in the power of videos to tell stories,” Dubin told NYT in 2013. “[We filmed the video] in our original warehouse in Gardena in October 2011. We spent about $4,500 on it.”

And the impact was immediate.

“It melted our servers. For a 24-hour period, no one could get on the site. It was terrifying.”

Once the company took steps to cope with the increased demand, they never looked back.  A few of the landmarks included:

• 12,000 orders in the first 48 hours. 

• Over 4.5m video views in 3 months (as of today, this is over 27m on YouTube alone.)

• The establishing of a brand following so loyal that former Dollar Shave Club CMO Adam Weber later said: “It all started with video. That’s what really birthed our brand.”

• Long-term impact amounting to over 2 million members in 5 years, and - ultimately - acquisition by industry titans, Unilever, for $1 billion in 2016.

Aside from the cult following the video helped them achieve, the process of making the video no doubt helped the company identify its own mission and lock down its messaging - something we see all the time with the clients we work with. 

So...why? Why did the video have such a profound impact? What was so great about it? And what lessons can you learn for your own brand? Here’s our take...

Be different. We talk about this regularly - what can you do to help you stand out from your competition? CMO Adam Weber recalls what he feels worked so well for Dollar Shave Club: “We talked to guys in a relatable voice. For so long, for a lot of the spaces talking to men, it was like you had to chose — you were either going to be very highbrow, slightly unapproachable, extremely aspirational, but really, largely unattainable as a brand — or you were going to approach men as Neanderthals.”

Don’t be afraid to use humour. So many brands suffer from taking themselves too seriously. Using humour, being relatable and showing your personality can be a key to building a committed, loyal following - and also boost shareability. Think about it: You’d never share an ad for a Gillette razor featuring a muscle-bound model in the shower, but this? You wouldn’t think twice, because it’s funny, and irreverent, and different. This is a key part of why the video had such an instant impact for Dollar Shave Club.

Be as subtle as a slap in the face. You have limited time to work in and you want to make an impression. Tell your audience who you are, what you do and why they should care. Don’t waste time!

Explainer videos are f***ing great! Adam Weber, CMO, explains: “More than any other channel, you can really reach a guy, or really, a consumer in general, and establish a much deeper emotional connection with video than you can in other creative venues. That’s because we can tell stories well. We can find a resonant idea, we can deliver it in a relatable voice and connect one-to-one.” Explainer videos are a great way to introduce your product, brand, service or idea - not just because of the words you use, but the colours, the scenery, the ambience, the music, the sound effects, the storyline. It’s the most powerful storytelling recipe you can use!

Interested in getting your own video?

Whatever stage you’re at with your brand journey, a great explainer video can help take you to the next level. Want to chat about how?

Click the button below to speak to a member of our team and we'll share some advice and tips for helping people ‘get’ what you do with the power of video!