We don’t know of any other best-of-year lists that recognize explainer videos but Stash has a definite soft spot for designers and animators with the skillset and patience required to distill complex ideas into engaging content.

These seven films all merge confident writing, inventive design, and expressive animation to not only make the client’s message digestible but also demonstrate just how important a more thoughtful narrative can be in a brand’s story.

All films were published in The Stash Permanent Collection during 2022 and are listed here in chronological order by their issue of publication.
 
 
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“ECOVATIVE” Brand film
Issue: Stash 152

Vasil Hnatiuk, director at VantageFilms in Los Angeles: “The client wanted to create a quick and engaging explanation for the technology they are working on – creating new eco-friendly materials on a mass scale.

“Our biggest challenge was to explain to our audience how simple mushrooms can have such a big impact on our manufacturing and farming methods. Some of the biggest technical challenges revolved around making sure all the products and mushrooms looked as real as possible.”
 
 
 

“INTRODUCING SPLINE” Brand film
Issue: Stash 153

Stefan Green, EP and Jorge R. Canedo E. creative director, at Ordinary Folk in Vancouver: “Spline wanted to re-introduce itself to the world in a way to help creatives get past any fear of working in 3D.

“We decided to learn Spline for ourselves to create some of the sequences. It was a bit of a learning experience because we were pushing the software to go beyond what it was designed to do and Spline had to deliver a custom version for us to use.”
 
 
 

TED-ED “THE MYTH OF THE ORIGINAL STAR-CROSSED LOVERS” Explainer
Issue: Stash 154

CD/illustrator Benoit Drigny and CD/animation director Valentin Nouvel in Lyon, France: “We were commissioned by TED-Ed to illustrate the traditional Chinese tale of the original star-crossed lovers.

“From the beginning, we intended to make a very cinematographic film, by its narration, its graphic treatment, its framing, and by the soundtrack. We wanted to go beyond a traditional explainer video.”
 
 
 

“THE ERNIE BALL SLINKY STORY: CELEBRATING 60 YEARS” Explainer
Issue: Stash 154

The improbable rise of Ernie Ball, a music business empire built on guitar strings, comes to life with brisk pacing and the witty collage talents of LA-based CD/director Ariel Costa.

Ariel Costa: “Ernie Ball has always had very bold branding, the idea with this film was to transform what once was created for print into an animation world and also introduce new elements and character animation that could live in a very consistent world.”
 
 
 

CREATEME “THE OPPOSITE” Online film
Issue: Stash 155

From the team at Le Cube in Buenos Aires: “When CreateMe invited us to collaborate in their fashion industry revolution, we couldn’t be happier to bring our vision to the mix.”

“To launch their innovative solutions, bringing creators closer to their audiences in a revolutionary way, we directed this fun piece that takes us all the way from business as usual to a hopeful vision for a future with less waste and better results.”
 
 
 

NATURAL ATLAS Brand film
Issue: Stash 155

Karolina Molska, EP at BluBlu Studios in Warsaw, Poland: “The client’s vision was for a magical, inspiring, and captivating video us to help them explain and market their new app Natural Atlas.

“The main challenge was to achieve a feeling of being a true part of nature, with a capacity of experiencing it with all senses, same as while physically being immersed in it.”
 
 
 

TED-ED “WHAT IS A GIG ECONOMY?” Explainer
Issue: Stash 156

Tiago Ribeiro, producer at AIM Creative Studios in Porto, Portugal: “In this episode, the goal was to guide the audience through a journey exploring the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy so we find out the key factors behind a successful freelancer career.

“The main creative challenge was the development of a fresh visual style and coming up with visual metaphors that would keep the audience engaged throughout the film, which is almost six minutes long.”
 
 
Watch all the Best of Stash 2022 Collections.