By Abdelrahman • December 26, 2025 • 15 min read

15 Best Explainer Video Examples 2025 (And Why They Work)

Learn from the best. We break down 15 exceptional explainer videos, analyzing exactly what makes them effective—so you can steal their techniques.

Why Study Great Explainer Videos?

Before you create your own explainer video, study what works. These examples represent different styles, industries, and approaches—each with lessons you can apply to your own project.

What we analyzed: Hook effectiveness, storytelling structure, visual style, pacing, CTA strength, and overall conversion potential.

Category 1: SaaS Explainers

1. Slack - "So Yeah, We Tried Slack"

📐 2D Animation ⏱️ 2:14 🎯 B2B SaaS

This legendary video tells the story of a fictional team discovering Slack. Instead of listing features, it shows transformation through narrative.

What works:

  • Story-first approach—features emerge naturally from the narrative
  • Relatable characters facing real workplace frustrations
  • Humor that doesn't undermine professionalism
  • Before/After contrast that makes the value obvious
Steal this: Instead of "our product does X," show "here's a team's day before and after using our product."

2. Dropbox - Original Launch Video

📐 Screen Recording + Motion ⏱️ 2:18 🎯 Consumer Tech

The video that launched a $10B company. Drew Houston created this simple demo video to explain cloud storage when nobody understood it.

What works:

  • Radical simplicity—no fancy animation, just clear demonstration
  • Solves a universal problem (file access across devices)
  • Shows the product actually working
  • Conversational, friendly tone
Steal this: When your product is genuinely revolutionary, sometimes the best approach is simply showing it work.

3. Notion - "The All-in-One Workspace"

📐 3D + UI Animation ⏱️ 1:30 🎯 Productivity SaaS

Notion's explainer elegantly shows how their flexible blocks system works without overwhelming viewers with possibilities.

What works:

  • Visual metaphors make abstract concepts tangible
  • Focuses on flexibility without decision paralysis
  • Clean, modern aesthetic that matches the product
  • Calm pacing that builds confidence
Steal this: For complex products, use visual metaphors to make abstract concepts concrete.

Category 2: FinTech Explainers

4. Stripe - "Payments for Platforms"

📐 2D Motion Graphics ⏱️ 1:45 🎯 B2B FinTech

Stripe takes complex payment infrastructure and makes it feel simple and inevitable. A masterclass in FinTech video production.

What works:

  • Starts with "what you want to build" not "what we do"
  • Technical complexity reduced to clear visuals
  • Builds credibility with specific examples
  • Makes boring infrastructure feel exciting
Steal this: Frame your product as enabling what your customer already wants to do.

5. Mercury - "Banking for Startups"

📐 Mixed Media ⏱️ 0:60 🎯 Banking

Mercury's video cuts through banking complexity with clarity and startup-friendly energy.

What works:

  • Immediately addresses pain (traditional banking friction)
  • Visual style matches target audience (modern, minimal)
  • Specific features shown, not just promised
  • Strong visual identity throughout
Steal this: Your visual style should match your target audience's aesthetic preferences.

Category 3: Healthcare & Complex Products

6. Oscar Health - "Health Insurance Made Simple"

📐 Illustrated 2D ⏱️ 1:30 🎯 HealthTech

Making health insurance understandable is nearly impossible. Oscar manages it through careful HealthTech video design.

What works:

  • Acknowledges the category is broken (builds trust)
  • Friendly, approachable character design
  • Complex benefits simplified to 3 core messages
  • Warm color palette reduces anxiety
Steal this: In anxiety-inducing categories, use warm visuals and friendly tones to build comfort.

Category 4: Marketplace & Platform Explainers

7. Airbnb - "Belong Anywhere"

📐 Live Action + Animation ⏱️ 0:90 🎯 Marketplace

Airbnb focuses on emotion over function—selling the feeling, not the features.

What works:

  • Emotional storytelling over feature listing
  • Universal desire (belonging) as the hook
  • Diverse representation builds broad appeal
  • Music and pacing create emotional arc
Steal this: For consumer products, lead with emotion—features can come later.

8. DoorDash - Restaurant Partner Video

📐 2D Animation ⏱️ 1:45 🎯 B2B Marketplace

This video targets restaurant owners, showing how DoorDash solves their specific problems.

What works:

  • Speaks directly to a specific audience segment
  • Addresses concerns (commissions, control) head-on
  • Shows real ROI potential with numbers
  • CTA is specific to the audience's needs
Steal this: Create separate videos for each audience segment—don't try to serve everyone with one video.

Category 5: B2B Enterprise

9. Salesforce - "Customer 360"

📐 3D Motion Graphics ⏱️ 2:00 🎯 Enterprise SaaS

Salesforce makes enterprise complexity feel manageable through visual storytelling.

What works:

  • Visual metaphors for data integration
  • Focus on outcomes, not features
  • Premium production matches premium pricing
  • Multiple use cases shown briefly
Steal this: For enterprise products, production quality signals trust and credibility.

10. HubSpot - "Grow Better"

📐 2D Animation ⏱️ 1:30 🎯 Marketing/Sales Platform

HubSpot positions growth as a philosophy, not just a metric—aligning product with values.

What works:

  • Brand philosophy front and center
  • Differentiates from competitors through values
  • Inspirational without being vague
  • Platform capabilities shown as enablers of philosophy
Steal this: Lead with your "why"—especially if your product is similar to competitors.

Common Patterns in Great Explainer Videos

Pattern What It Means % of Top Videos
Problem-first hook Open with pain, not product 85%
Show, don't tell Product in action, not described 90%
Single focus One core message, not five 80%
Under 2 minutes Respect viewer time 75%
Clear CTA Specific next step 95%
Brand consistency Visual style matches product 100%

What to Do Next

Now that you've seen what great looks like:

  1. Pick 3 examples closest to your industry/style
  2. Analyze them deeply—watch each 5+ times
  3. Note specific techniques you want to use
  4. Write your brief referencing these examples
  5. Share examples with your video partner

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