Blog

Language does the locomotion: kinetic typography

Words have the power to move.

Think about Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Winston Churchill’s: “We shall fight them on the beaches”. And what about Samuel L Jackson’s litany in that pants-wetting scene in Pulp Fiction? “I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger!”

Words inspire action – they illicit emotion. Now, imagine words that are injected with action and emotion!

Kinetic typography or kinetic text is language in motion, text that come alive thanks to the power of motion graphics. It’s a story-telling technique that’s popular in title sequences, telly ads and yes, presentations – the good ones. If you want your audience to pay attention to your message, and in particular, your exact words, kinetic typography should be the way you do it.

There are plenty of examples of famous monologues from your favourite movies paired with motion type (like this here from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), but let’s focus on kinetic typography in advertising, and how it puts the spotlight on a brand’s message.

When America was getting reading for the November 4 elections (yes, when Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States) Starbucks put out this patriotic advert, rewarding voters with a free cup of coffee in exchange for their ‘X’.

Kinetic typography can also be paired with strong visual elements, which gives it even bigger star power – like this fun motion text commercial from Ford.

The beauty of this motion graphics technique is that you choose what you want to EMPHASISE in your message. Kinetic typography is a really simple, affordable and great way to make your brand message pop.