You’ve probably noticed by now that Instagram video exists. In the weeks since its debut, I’ve seen my fair share of the following: coffee swirling in its cup, dogs playing in parks, and moving beach scenes that probably would have sufficed as still images. Brands have done a few things too, but I’d argue that thus far it’s been pretty “meh” overall — in most cases, it’s clear that brands are producing videos simply for the sake of doing it. “Oh, you’re doing Instagram video? Us too.”
That being said, here are four uses that give me hope for the 15-second video platform’s future.
Jobs Trailer Debut
The first ever movie trailer for Instagram video is fifteen seconds of Ashton Kutcher doing his very best Steve Jobs. The video comes from the official @jobsthefilm account, and was created specifically for this platform.
James Franco Announces Comedy Central Roast
While the idea is novel, the execution on this one is….well…terrible. A bleary-eyed Franco uses the platform to announce his upcoming Comedy Central Roast. The video ends with Franco mumbling, “Comedy Central wanted me to tell you that.” But it’s immediately clear why the station commissioned this video: the actor has well over 360,000 followers, and the announcement (if you can call it that) has already yielded over 15,000 likes.
charity: water
As a non-profit, it can be a challenge to show potential donors the real world difference that their gifts will make. charity: water utilizes Instagram Video to demonstrate that change, showing a smiling woman using the water tap now available in her home. As the caption explains, before the non-profit intervened she had to spend four hours every day walking to get water from a nearby stream.
Intel’s DIY Ultrabook Case
It’s certainly tough to fit a how-to segment into fifteen seconds, but as Intel proves, it’s not altogether impossible. This Instagram tutorial shows followers how to a computer case/carrier from a sweatshirt — you know, just in case you leave yours at home.
Wondering how we magically embedded the above Instagram videos in this post? It’s easy — find out how from our how to embed Instagram videos post.
