When and Why to Commission the Production of a Brand Film

A brand film is a video produced for a brand using high-end filming techniques that captures and communicates the core identity of a brand.

This can be done in a variety of styles including short narrative films, documentaries and spoken word voiceovers. The key identifying factor is that high-end filmmaking techniques are being utilised to evoke emotion in the audience and, in turn, tell a story that is at the core of a brand’s identity.

The distinct difference between a brand film and a promotional video is that a promotional video is more of a sales piece that focuses on the practical selling points of a brand or business. A brand film is an emotive piece of video content that looks to evoke an emotional connection with the brand’s identity.

There are many reasons why a brand may commission a brand film, as well as there being plenty of moments when commissioning one is a great idea.

I’m going to take you through these reasons as well as the styles of film production a brand may use within its own brand film.

Before diving into when and why brands commission brand films, let’s take a look at some examples to give a flavour of the different approaches brands take.

One of the most well known brands in the world, Harley Davidson connects with millions globally not just because of the motorbikes they produce but the lifestyle they represent.

That’s why this voiceover-led brand film using carefully shot and selected footage depicting the lifestyle Harley represents whilst evoking the worldly outlooks they stand for, was just the ticket to reinvigorate customers aligned with their brand identity.

It’s not always about a new idea, but about re-affirming one that’s already out there. Harley Davidson has developed a clear brand identity over the years, but this has to be nurtured to be sustained. 

Carefully crafted visuals and evocative voiceovers go a long way to reilluminate the brand image already in many people’s minds.

The crossover between brand films and TV adverts is very common. A longer brand film is usually cut down into a format and length fit for TV advertising. The stylistic approaches used for brand films lend themselves perfectly to TV advertising campaigns.

The standout 2025 Christmas advert, starring Kiera Knightly and Joe Wilkinson, from Waitrose was a cut-down version of a short film.

The short film was a narrative piece complete with storyline, character development and emotional rises and falls. Narrative short films are unbelievably compelling and this is why done correctly, they can have a huge impact, especially when incorporated into a TV or YouTube advertising campaign.

Firstly, Hive Bakehouse. Hive are an independent bakery that produces and supplies baked goods as well as having a hospitality venue of its own.

When expanding their business and announcing the exciting changes they were going through, a documentary- style brand film was produced.

Utilising old archival footage as well as cinematically shot, emotive interview footage with the founder, they successfully produced a brand film that was informative, yet captured the audience’s attention by telling the heartfelt story of how the business began and the passion and commitment that had been put into it over the years by the small team.

The immersive power of documentary storytelling is put to great effect to share the brand’s message.

There are plenty of reasons why a brand may commission the production of a brand film, here are some of the main reasons.

Developing a brand’s identity is a very important part of marketing. It’s easy to get caught up in the conversion metrics of the different forms of marketing, however, if people don’t know a brand, understand them or trust them, their likelihood of engaging with them is significantly decreased.

At their heart, brand films are all about communicating a brand’s identity. The most successful brands across the world, whether they be huge businesses or small startups, are successful because customers and clients resonate with what that brand is.

A brand may understand its own identity, but if it can’t successfully establish a connection with potential customers to whom its brand identity would resonate, they’re not going to be able to grow.

Films have long been one of the most powerful ways to connect with audiences on a large scale, capturing their emotions with a whole range of storytelling and filmmaking techniques.

Bringing the power of filmmaking, whether it be narrative or documentary, into a brand’s marketing campaigns is an unbelievably powerful way of connecting with customers and establishing very clearly with them just what the brand’s identity is.

As already mentioned, brand films are a very powerful way of evoking strong emotions in an audience. But why is evoking emotion such an important part of marketing?

Without an emotional trigger associated to a brand’s product or service, the brand is marketing itself on practicality alone. For some brands, this may be enough and reputation alone may see them through. However, for brands that need to establish customer loyalty in a market where competition is high, other factors are needed for customers to continue to choose their brand over competitors.

Much of the time, emotion is that factor. Whether this be an emotional reaction to what the brand stands for, what it represents or how they imagine the future, emotions drive us all and that’s why brands that can successfully evoke the correct emotions in their potential customers are brands that successfully establish loyal customers.

This is why many brands see brand films as a very important part of their marketing campaigns. Using filmmaking and storytelling techniques to evoke a positive emotion towards the brand is something that can work unbelievably well alongside the practical sales pitch for a product or service.

Sales and marketing run their campaigns with long-term visions in mind. Even though PR feeds into this, PR campaigns are more often than not built around big moments as opposed to gradual developments.

The evocative power a brand film harnesses is perfect for moments when big statements need to be made. A brand may have developed a campaign that stands up for an issue, provokes controversy or discussion or even pushes a cause. The one thing that is consistent through all of these reasons is messaging.

When a brand is making a statement, it needs that statement to be clear and evoke emotion. As we’ve already established, brand films are fantastic at evoking emotion and that is why they are often used alongside bold marketing campaigns that are geared toward impactful short-term statements.

Many brands understand why commissioning the production of a brand film is a good idea, however, when is the right time to do so?

Here, I’ll run through some of the prime moments when producing a brand film is just the right thing to do.

At the very start of a marketing campaign is a really good time to commission a brand film. As a brand film is an all-encompassing piece of content that encapsulates everything the brand or the brand’s campaign is all about, planning the film at the start of the marketing campaign is important, as it makes sure that the messaging contained in everything else sits at the core of the brand film.

Picture the brand film sitting at the top of the pyramid of marketing content. It is the splashiest piece of content you’ll produce, but what it represents and communicates trickles down to everything else below it.

Whether it be the messaging it contains, ad copy it informs or emotion it evokes, establishing this from the very start via the brand film is important when it comes to the production of all other marketing materials.

If a brand wants optimal impact from their brand film and for the rest of their campaign to nicely align, they’ll begin work on their brand film right at the start of the planning of their marketing campaign.

Brands often have big statement marketing campaigns or announcements and updates they need to communicate. Especially when these announcements are of a grand or emotional nature, such as a big product announcement, a cause they are aligning with or a re-brand, a brand film can perfectly tell the story of what they want to say in a way that captures the audience’s imagination.

Nobody likes to be constantly preached at or told what to think. Brands can successfully put their big messages and announcements front and centre of their customers’ minds by producing a film that is engaging in its own right.

Brands are excited about the messages they have to share, but it doesn’t mean customers are automatically giddy as well. Producing a brand film that holds the messaging at its core is a much more effective way of generating excitement and connection with this message than telling an audience they should be excited by it.

When running adverts, regardless of the platform or medium, tracking the conversion of these adverts is very important. It’s very tempting for brands and businesses to double down on adverts that are trackable in these ways.

Advertising that has a positive impact on a brand’s identity feels so much more abstract. However, what the most successful brands realise is that continuing to develop a positive image of a brand that aligns with its core identity is highly beneficial to all other advertising.

For instance, Meta adverts that specifically encourage customers to purchase through the website are much more likely to convert if the potential customer already has a favourable view of that brand.

Establishing a strong brand image is just as important to the success of other adverts as the contents of those adverts themselves.

For all the reasons we’ve covered so far, well-produced brand films are really important for brands that want to increase the success of all their other marketing efforts.

If you yourself are considering commissioning a brand film for your brand or business, working alongside an experienced video and film production company is the best way to ensure you get what you’re after.

So much of the success of a brand film relies on the pre-production phase where ideas are generated, production approaches are refined and the whole vision of the film is aligned on amongst everyone involved.

When working on your brand film, make sure you pay special attention to this phase. Establish what it is you want the film to communicate, what style you want to produce it in and what impact you want it to have on the audience.

Working with a trusted production company is the best way to ensure you can successfully turn your vision into a filmic reality.

If you don’t have a production company already in mind, the Glacé team are always on hand to get the ball rolling on your brand film and work in collaboration with you to produce a brand film for the ages.

Just drop us a message with your initial vision, as we’re happy to throw some ideas your way.