Codes & Conventions of Promotional Videos

There are many different types of Promotional Videos. Here are the codes and conventions of the different types:

Corporate Videos
Corporate videos are designed for a specific event/function based on what the company has commissioned the production company to produce. The purpose of the video varies depending on what the client is asking for. The target audiences of these videos are usually for company members, such as stakeholders or senior members etc.

Product Launch/Marketing
Product launches sell a product through the use of a video package. A good example are the Apple advertisements. These types of videos usually consist of interviews with the product developers, explanations of the product being sold with lots of technological language used and lots of detailed visuals of the products.

Above is an example of a product launch. This promotional video is specifically for the new iPad pro.

Promotion of Ideology and Values
These promotional videos usually centre charities or causes. Political party broadcasts also fall under this category. These promotional videos will have a set purpose and that purpose is to communicate the ideologies and beliefs of who is behind the promotional video. Direct modes of address are used in these promotional videos to acquire the audience's attention, and, often in the case to make them feel bad.

The promotional video above is a Labour party political broadcast, promoting the party's key beliefs and values.

Event Coverage
These types of promotional videos advertise events like conventions, concerts and festivals. Target audiences like this vary as it is literally just whoever is a fan of what is being advertised. These types of promotional videos may have vox pops or short interviews as a part of it, showing the attendees of the events enjoying themselves. Or, another example would be an interview with an artist being part of the PV for a music festival.

This is a trailer for Depeche Mode's 2009 Tour of the Universe world tour. The trailer consists of footage of the band's performances on the tour alongside a backing track of their latest hits.

Show-reels
Show-reels are used for various different reasons, specifically being to promote a person or company. This type of promotional video consists of a series of clips. These are put together to showcase the skills and capability of a person or company. Much like a portfolio, the show-reel will display work the company/person has completed for clients, showing the calibre of clients they have worked for.