Animated Social Media Assets (Instagram Reel)
When creating this social media video, I wanted it to continue to show the mixed media effect I had worked on previously. I wanted to combine this with an advert that promotes the personality of my brand. For example, I planned to mention my slogan, ‘affordable adventures await’ (promoting the accessibility and affordability of my brand) as well as mentioning the sustainability and student focused brand.
I created this animation on aftereffects. There are over 40 different individually animated layers within this project, and this was due to the development of my mixed media effect. I used many different textures such as paper, sketches and more. I made different brush strokes and animated them around my main character.
Key components in this animation that I added are my logo, keeping my correct brand typography and a Call-to-action button at the end of the video. This call to action is animated as a separate component and encourages the user to swipe up or click for more to see my brand. The call to action is important because, “In 2025, data shows that Reels with direct, value-driven CTAs convert up to 41% more often than passive content” (Figure 1) and this traction is imperative in keeping ym sustainable bookshop brand successful.
The royalty free footage I used was two different clips of the same person in a library. I focused on getting a student for my video as my brand is directed mainly towards students.
Social Media Video in a Iphone frame mockup
(Unfortunately the quality on this dropped due to Youtube, I have the after effects file if necessary)
After finishing my video, I used aftereffects to mock-up the video into a clear example of the reel. This is effective in showing how a user would perceive the Instagram reel.
I made sure to create the reel in the dimensions that meant that it would be easy to mock-up into a real iPhone. This reel bears great resemblance to my webpage video and this is to build brand identity. I focused on using the same techniques and skills through multiple tutorials on mixed media.
(Proof of the better quality on AE)
References
Figure 1 – Lane (2025) Effective Instagram Reels: Hook, Storytelling, and CTA Tips Instagram Reels Content Structure Tips for Engagement & Conversion (Accessed 4th May 2026)