Before you write your script, it helps to know which kind of cartoon you’re making. There are really only four, and each one has a clear job.
Teaser reels: make people curious
Length: 15–20 seconds. Price: $3–$4.
A teaser doesn’t explain anything. It hooks people and leaves them hanging: a mysterious character, a countdown, a box that wobbles. Use teasers in the days before a launch, an event or a big reveal. Because they’re cheap, write two or three and see which one gets people talking. More on teasers.
Launch reels: make the news feel like an event
Length: 30–60 seconds. Price: $6–$12.
New product, new location, new menu, new app. A launch reel turns your announcement into a story, building up to the reveal so people stick around for it. If you ran teasers, the launch reel is the payoff, ideally with the same characters. More on launch reels.
Promo reels: make the offer memorable
Length: 15–45 seconds. Price: $3–$9.
Sales, seasonal specials, limited-time deals. A promo reel wraps your offer in a short story, so the deal becomes the payoff instead of a block of text. Promo reels are the ones businesses most often run as paid ads. More on promo reels.
Explainer cartoons: make it make sense
Length: 45–90 seconds. Price: $9–$18.
If you’ve ever watched someone’s eyes glaze over while you explain what your business does, you need an explainer. Characters act out the problem, your business solves it, and suddenly it’s obvious. Explainers do well on social, and they work hard on your homepage, in sales emails and in onboarding. More on explainers.
A quick way to choose
| If you want people to… | Make a… |
|---|---|
| Wonder what’s coming | Teaser |
| Know something new exists | Launch reel |
| Act on an offer now | Promo reel |
| Understand what you do | Explainer |
The secret fifth option: a series
Many businesses that use cartoons don’t make one; they make a cast. The same characters appear in a teaser, then a launch, then a promo next month. Followers start to recognise them. At $0.20 a second, a whole month of cartoons often costs less than one traditional ad.
Not sure? Start with what you want people to do, pick the matching format from the table, and write to that length. Then start a cartoon. There are no wrong answers, only longer and shorter frogs.
