The Message In Silence: Utilizing Emptiness In Video Advertising

A man with headphones staring at nothingness

As Video Advertisers, you most likely were taught the importance of delivering your message through thoughtful visuals, audio, composition, and design. Although those are the foundation of creating impactful content, an equally important aspect that isn’t given enough attention is what I call the Power of Silence in video. Today, I will discuss examples of this in advertising and how you can implement it in your own work.

Silence Tells Us Something

When deciding what kinds of audio to use in your video marketing, it is vital to also know when you should use silence in the video. Silence is not just a break from the sound; it tells the audience to listen to what was said and helps create meaning. Much like the score of a movie, implementing silence gives the listener a moment to think about the notes before and what comes after, to give the music meaning.

Uses of Slience In Video

To better understand the impact silence can have in video advertising, take a look at this advertisement from Calm, a mobile app designed to help you relax while on a flight. Although fairly simple, the sound design does a few different things:

• It helps the viewer relax

• It gives the viewer time to focus on the text

• Effectively advertises the app and its purpose

Calm also uses this silence to help influence its brand, by making statements about the marketing purpose through advertising, like the 2024 Election, which not only advertises the app, but also creates commentary on political outcomes, which filcilitates a support for demographics negatively impacted by the election results. Using silence in this advertising creates an introspective tone, where music would be less effective.

Think of ways you can implement silence in your own video marketing by taking a look at examples of ads that I consider “noisy.” If you look at most advertising on TV or streaming, chances are you will see ads with loud music, flashy visuals, and dialogue. With this saturation of sound in today’s marketing, don’t underestimate the power of a quiet advertisement, as it could help you stand out in a noisy world.