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Product launch corporate video: how I approach it
How I organize a product launch video when the event date can't move: backward planning, format by channel and what to leave until last.
A few months ago a client wrote to me with the date already set: the launch presentation was in five weeks and they needed a video to open the event. There was no script and no references — just the product and the date. That's the most common starting point when it comes to launch videos.
A product launch video is different from a generic corporate video because it has a deadline that can't move and a single objective: building anticipation right before the product hits the market. There's no room to push delivery back two weeks because the marketing team is still reviewing the product name.
What it is and why it matters
A launch video is the piece that accompanies a product's release to market: it can open a live event, headline a social media campaign or serve as a teaser before the official date. It combines brand storytelling with concrete information about what the product does and why it matters now.
It matters because the calendar overrides the creative process. On a regular corporate video I can afford to move the shoot by a week if something doesn't fit. On a launch I can't: the event date, the press campaign and social media are already coordinated, and the video has to arrive on time even if the product's look keeps changing until the last minute.
It also matters because it's often the first time many people see the product in motion. A catalog or a spec sheet explains what it does. The video explains why you should care, and that changes the kind of shots and pacing I need.
How to do it well
Plan backward from the event date
The first thing I do is take the launch date and count backward: when the final master has to be ready, when the first cut is due for internal approval, when the shoot happens and when the script has to be locked. The real window for shooting and editing is almost always shorter than the client thinks, because half the calendar goes on internal approvals.
Choose the format based on the launch channel
A video meant to open a keynote on a big screen isn't the same as a fifteen-second teaser for Instagram. Before filming I ask where it will be seen first: if it's at the event, I prioritize shots that work full screen and a more measured pace; if it's for social media, I leave room in the framing to crop to vertical without losing the product from the shot.
Leave filming the physical product until last
I first film everything that doesn't depend on the finished product: interviews, context shots, B-roll of the team at work. I leave the physical product or final prototype for the latest possible dates, because there's almost always a last-minute change in finish, color or packaging that arrives right before launch.
Common mistakes
- Starting to film before the product's final name is locked.
- Not leaving room for a second cut if the marketing message changes at the last minute.
- Filming the product in a setup that doesn't reflect the final packaging or finish.
- Underestimating how long internal approval of the script and first cut takes.
- Not preparing a short version for social media from the start, alongside the main event piece.
Frequently asked questions
How much lead time do I need before the launch date?
At least four weeks between locking the script and the event, including the shoot, the edit and one round of internal approval. With less than that you have to cut phases, almost always at the expense of review.
Do you need to film the physical product, or are renders enough?
It depends on the product. If it's something tangible that can be touched and handled on camera, filming it live conveys more than a render. Renders work well as support when the product doesn't yet exist in its final form or when there are parts that can't be shot in time.
How long should a launch video be?
To open a live event, ninety seconds to three minutes usually works. For social media it's worth also having a fifteen-to-thirty-second version, designed to be watched without sound and with the message clear in the first three seconds.
Can this video be reused after the launch?
Yes, and it's worth planning for that from the shoot. I always film a bit more footage than needed so I can later edit short pieces for social media or the website, without having to organize a second shoot just for that.
If you already have a launch date set and need a video that arrives on time, write to me via /en/contacto and we'll see how to fit it into the calendar.