The ask
Vodafone approached us with a clear challenge: explain the Internet of Things (IoT) in a way that feels both accessible and grounded in reality. The goal was to create a two-minute explainer that could resonate with a wide audience from everyday consumers using wearables and smart home devices, to businesses adopting IoT in factories, utilities, and healthcare.
The client was keen to avoid an overly abstract or “tech for tech’s sake” execution. Instead, the brief focused on visualising IoT in real environments, for example, a runner on the road with a fitness tracker, families in their homes with smart monitors and pets, engineers working on a production line, and sensors monitoring rural reservoirs.
Our team of animators had to find a balance of real-world context and brand storytelling that would allow the audience to see how IoT impacts their daily lives and industries alike.
Our approach
We built the animation style around Vodafone’s brand colours, mixing real-life environments, for example, cars on the road, homes with pets, factories, and cityscapes with abstract shapes and flowing lines to show how data moves. That balance let us explain a complex topic while keeping it human and relatable.
Rather than relying on generic IoT icons and floating clouds, we grounded the story in familiar settings people could instantly connect with.
To keep everything seamless, we used flowing motion graphics as the invisible “digital fabric” of IoT, carrying viewers smoothly from one scene to the next while reinforcing Vodafone’s brand throughout.
The narrative moved from everyday to future-facing: starting with home and personal examples, scaling up to business and industrial uses, and finally hinting at what’s next – connected fridges and health monitors. A clear, natural journey that mirrors how IoT is unfolding in real life.
The outcome
The finished animation took a pretty complex idea and turned it into something clear, engaging, and easy to connect with. By rooting the visuals in everyday moments, we kept things relatable while still leaving room for creativity and playful motion.
For us, this project was a great reminder of what an animation explainer does best, taking technical detail and translating it into something human, approachable, and memorable. It’s not just about explaining; it’s about making people feel connected to the subject.
Nicely Done's animation team brought this topic to life with clarity and impact. The team’s creativity and attention to detail truly elevated our message.
