Driving Action with Video and Animation

Video is a powerful advocacy tool that can appeal to audiences on an emotional level.

See below Social Driver’s 2021 video highlight reel, as well as eight examples of how we helped our clients share their stories to make an impact.


1. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Can I Afford My Cancer Treatment Today?

LLS sought to explain the human price of the unlimited out-of-pocket medical expenses cancer patients are being asked to pay for their medications and to propose a bipartisan solution. The video centers around a statistic — that patients who must pay at least $2,000 out-of-pocket for their cancer care are five times more likely to abandon their treatment. The video is fully animated, and the story is told by a character who is affected by these high costs. LLS shared the campaign video on its website and on social media, along with GIFs created from the explainer video.


2. Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy: The Carbon Management Research Initiative

CGEP wanted to show how carbon capture technology that exists today can be used to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, support a clean energy transition, and help save our planet. CGEP’s senior research scholar, Dr. Julio Friedmann, serves as the main narrator. The video is animated, using cel animation and overlaid typography. GIFs were created using assets from the explainer video.


3. National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: Giving Students Spaces They Need to Succeed

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ Charter School Facility Center wants to make sure more money is spent in the classroom, not on the classroom. As part of these educational and advocacy efforts, the team hired Social Driver to simplify the complex challenges related to the costs and finances of charter school buildings through the creation of a video.

4. Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy: Food Climate Partnership

CGEP sought to convey the enormous impact that the food system has on climate change, with more than 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions coming from the food system. The video explains the issue and potential policy solutions using recorded Zoom interviews from experts, overlaid typography, and animations to illustrate key takeaways. 


5. Protect Dreamers Higher Education Coalition & American Council on Education: Remember the Dreamers

The Protect Dreamers Higher Education Coalition, led by ACE, wanted to end the political and legal limbo for America’s Dreamers and galvanize its members and networks in opposition to the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The fully animated video communicated a complex policy message through a central narrator in a way that even those unfamiliar with the policy nuances could understand, and it inspired people to take action. Read our full case study.


6. IPC: Sparking Interest in the Electronics Industry

IPC, which ensures the products of the electronics manufacturing industry work reliably and safely, needed to explain the complexity of these products and the supply chains that deliver them to the public. To make this information relatable, the video showcases the technology that goes inside some of the items we take for granted in our day-to-day lives. The video incorporated existing footage with animated overlays showing electronics in a series of items people use daily, such as smartphones and cars.

7. Main Street Alliance: What is a Small Business?

The Main Street Alliance wanted to emphasize the importance of BIPOC-owned small businesses. The video highlights footage from small-business owners talking about their work and the impact they make in their communities. It includes talking-head video recordings, B-roll, photography and animated elements to give the audience a full picture of how impactful these businesses are in their communities.

8. UnidosUS: Driving Latino Voter Registration

Millions of young, eligible Latinx voters are not registered. UnidosUS set out to change that with an advertising campaign to drive voter registration among the Latinx community. The campaign video emphasized that one person can be a voice for others by voting by using collage elements and showcasing members of the Latinx community. Animated GIFs were developed to provide additional information around the registration and voting process. Read our full case study


Social Driver is a leading digital agency with in-house expertise for using social media, digital strategy, content and video, websites, and brand design. Headquartered in Washington DC, with teams in Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, and Bellingham, WA, our culture is focused on partnership, creativity, stewardship, collaboration, and service.