Product videos: how to choose the right approach for your brand

You’re launching a product, updating your website or planning your next campaign. You know video could help, but “we need a product video” still leaves plenty to decide.

Should it explain how the product works? Introduce it with a memorable launch film? Show it being used in the environment it was designed for?

A useful starting point is the question your customer needs answered. Once that is clear, you can choose a format, decide what to show and give the production a purpose.

My launch film for the NOVRITSCH SSR74 is one example of how those decisions come together.

Start with what your customer needs to understand.

Someone encountering your product for the first time may need a clear introduction. Someone comparing options may want to understand particular features. Someone close to buying may need to see how the product works in practice.

These situations suggest different approaches:

What your customer needs	A suitable approach	What the video should communicate
An introduction to a new product	Product launch film	What it is, what makes it distinctive and why it deserves attention
Help understanding its features or operation	Product demonstration	How it works and what the relevant features mean in use
A sense of how it fits into their activities	Lifestyle or product-in-use video	The setting, experience and practical context around the product

These formats can overlap. A launch film can explain features, and a demonstration can have a strong visual identity. The useful decision is which job should lead.

For the SSR74, product features gave the film its structure.

For NOVRITSCH’s SSR74 launch, I proposed a film led by cinematic product footage, with on-screen text carrying the key feature information.

The starting point was a product walkthrough from Christoph. I translated that information into a shot list, pairing the features we wanted to communicate with footage that would support them.

That connection matters when commissioning a product video. If a particular feature is important to your customer, it needs a clear place in the film. Identifying those priorities gives the production a practical foundation.

We filmed at Airsoftpark.at, near Vienna. With limited preparation time, much of the visual approach developed on location. The feature list kept the shoot focused while leaving room to find the images.

In the edit, I brought the footage and feature callouts together. The finished piece combined the atmosphere of a launch film with information about the product.

My role covered concept development, direction, shot planning and post-production. I filmed every sequence except the supplied “Lord of War” skit, which I colour-graded to match the rest of the film.

Watch the SSR74 film and explore the project.

Your product knowledge is a useful starting point for the brief.

The SSR74 project began with someone explaining the product. For your own video, that conversation might cover the features customers ask about, details that are difficult to communicate through photographs, or differences between the new product and an earlier version.

Those answers give us something concrete to build on. The concept can then connect your product knowledge with a clear experience for the viewer.

Plan where the video will be used before filming begins.

Think about the places where your customers will encounter the finished work. You might need a main film for a launch page, alongside shorter versions for social media or footage that explains individual features.

Discuss those uses at the beginning. Different versions can require different framing, pacing, text and footage. Agreeing on them early helps define what needs to be captured and what will be delivered.

It also makes the budget conversation more useful. The scope depends on factors such as the location, people involved, complexity of the product demonstrations and number of finished versions. Sharing a budget range lets us discuss which approach is practical and where to focus the work.

Give the finished film a clear place in your customer’s journey.

A product video should sit alongside the information someone needs to take the next step. On a product page, that might include specifications, availability and purchasing details. For a launch campaign, it might lead to a page where customers can explore the product further.

The SSR74 illustrates the approach I bring to this work: understand the product, identify what matters and build the images around those priorities.

If you’re planning a product video, explore my product video production services and tell me what you’re launching, who it’s for and where you want to use it. We can work through the format and scope together.