How motion can be the body language of branding

In branding we spend a lot of time thinking about what things look like. And in advertising we focus on what brands say. How a brand moves? That tends to be treated like an afterthought, a way to polish things up at the end.

But in a screen-first world, filled with swipes, scrolls, stories and load screens, the way a brand moves is fundamental to brand experience. It communicates on a level that’s immediate and emotional, often before anything verbal or visual has landed.

It’s about using movement to signal tone, character, even intention.

Which is why it’s time we stopped treating motion like an executional detail, and started treating it like what it really is: the brand’s body language.

More touchpoints, more pressure

There are now more places than ever where motion isn’t just possible — it’s necessary. On social media, in apps, on digital billboards, on product screens. And most of these aren’t one-off moments. They’re systems.

That changes the role of motion in branding. It’s not just about making things move. It’s about using movement to signal tone, character, even intention.

Like sound, it economically shapes meaning — often below the level of conscious thought.

Choices in how something moves can say as much about a brand as the colour palette or the headline copy. Possibly more.

Emotion, economy, intention

One of the reasons motion is possibly so under-considered is also why it's so powerful. Like sound, it economically shapes meaning — often below the level of conscious thought. A snappy bounce feels playful. A gentle ease-in suggests care or softness. A jittery vibration might feel high energy or experimental. These are emotional cues.

In advertising, we talk about ‘feeling first’ storytelling. Motion, done well, does some of that work before a single word is read.

With tools like Runway, Kaiber, and increasingly powerful motion plugins, it’s easier than ever to animate. 

 For example, the Deliveroo loading animation combines a playful kangaroo hop with an angled background colour swipe. It’s not just decorative — it quickly frames the brand as speedy, efficient, and a bit cheeky.

Above: The Deliveroo app's loading animation reflects the character of the brand. 

AI is raising the stakes

With tools like Runway, Kaiber, and increasingly powerful motion plugins, it’s easier than ever to animate. That’s a good thing in many ways as it means less reliance on specialist software, more teams being able to prototype and explore.

But with fewer technical barriers, there’s a bigger need for creative definition. If anyone can make something move, what stops everything looking the same?

Right now, not many brands are really owning how they move. Which means there’s an opportunity.

Which is why motion guidelines are essential — not just to maintain control, but to encourage consistency without killing creativity. The goal isn’t to create rigid templates. It’s to define how a brand moves in a way that can be understood, used, and built on by lots of people, across lots of channels.

Google's Material Design resource for designers (main image and above) includes graphics that use the metaphor of sheets of paper, which allows for cohesiveness as well as variation. 

Designing for tone, not templates

One of the dangers in defining brand motion is over-rationalising it – designing everything to move the same way — regardless of context or tone.

But just like a human doesn’t speak to their boss the same way they speak to their dog, a brand shouldn’t move the same way when it’s saying “here’s a small update” versus “here’s the big emotional film”.

The answer lies in metaphor. A good metaphor creates coherence without rigidity. For example, Google’s Material Design system is based on the metaphor of layered paper — elements slide, fold, and respond to touch as if they have weight and texture. That idea gives their motion clarity and purpose, while still allowing it to adapt across contexts.