At A+C Studios, we have been creating stop-motion commercials for over 15 years. We collaborate and co-create with brands such as LEGO, TK Maxx, British Airways and Cadbury, and agencies including Ogilvy, BBDO, Havas, Publicis and many others. Read more about stop-motion and our A+C Studios guide:

Stop-motion can have a reputation for being expensive to produce and extremely time-consuming, but this is only sometimes true! So we’ve written this guide to help agency staff and in-house teams understand the production process of creating a commercial with stop-motion animation.

So what is stop-motion? Stop-motion is an animation technique that captures images one frame at a time. One second of footage is achieved by capturing 25 individual still frames. In each still frame, an animator moves objects or puppets incrementally. When played back in rapid succession, the frames create the illusion of motion. Stop-motion animation should always be produced within a controllable studio environment. Stop-motion animation is a beautiful, tactile medium that can be used to bring products to life, as well as tell emotive stories with puppet characters. It’s perfect for both narrative and promoting new products and services, and we believe it helps people connect with their inner child.

Experience has taught us that stop-motion is incredibly effective in advertising. We’ve used several styles to show this: claymation, paper-craft, tabletop and pixilation (animating human beings). There really is so much scope, with near-limitless possibilities. Take a look at our guide to stop-motion.