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The product video brief: what to send so your first cut is right
Most product videos that miss the mark don’t miss because of the animation or the edit. They miss because the brief left something out: the wrong product variant, a claim the brand can’t make, a tone that doesn’t match the brand, or a key benefit nobody mentioned.
A good brief takes about two minutes and saves days. Here’s what we ask for at Productoons, and why each item matters. It works just as well if you’re briefing a UGC creator, an editor or an in-house designer.
1. A clear product photo (the most important item)
Send a straight-on photo of the product on a plain background, in good light, with the label readable. If you sell several variants (flavors, sizes, colors), send the exact one the video should feature.
Why it matters: we composite your real product photo into the cartoon. A sharp, evenly lit photo looks great on screen; a blurry photo from an angle limits what we can do with it. If you only have lifestyle shots, send the cleanest one you have and tell us.
Good to add: 2 to 4 more photos (back of pack, the product in use, what’s inside the box).
2. The product page link
Your listing tells us the official name, the claims you already make publicly, the size and what’s included. It’s also the fastest way for us to understand what shoppers see right before they buy.
3. Your top two or three benefits, in your words
Not a list of twelve features. The two or three reasons people actually buy. If you’re unsure, look at your best reviews: the phrases customers repeat are usually the benefits that matter.
A short video can carry one main message and one or two supporting points. Everything else crowds the script.
4. Claims you can use, and claims you can’t
This is the item most often missing, and the one that matters most in regulated categories (supplements, skincare, pet health, anything with performance claims).
- Claims to use: what’s on your label and your listing, ideally copied word for word.
- Claims to avoid: anything your compliance team, your marketplace or your category rules won’t allow.
- Required wording: disclaimers, trademark symbols or phrases you always use.
We stick to your label and your notes, never write medical claims, and you approve the script before anything is animated. Clear notes up front mean that approval is quick.
5. Where the video will run
TikTok, TikTok Shop, Reels, Shorts, an Amazon listing, paid ads? It changes the script. A paid ad needs a stronger hook and a clear call to action; a listing video should explain and avoid prices or promotions; an organic TikTok can lean harder into humor.
6. Tone and no-go lines
Tell us where you sit between “cheeky” and “calm and premium.” Mention any brand voice rules, words you never use, competitors you never name, or jokes that would land badly with your audience.
Good to add: a video (from any brand) whose tone you love, and one you’d hate to look like.
7. A hook idea, if you have one
You know your customers. If there’s a line, a problem or a moment you think would stop them scrolling, include it. We’ll write options around it and you pick in the script approval step.
A copy-and-paste brief template
- Product name and variant:
- Product link:
- Photos attached: (front, back, in use)
- Top benefits (2 to 3):
- Claims we can use (from the label):
- Claims or words to avoid:
- Where the video will run:
- Tone: (cheeky / friendly / calm / premium)
- Hook ideas or must-have lines:
- Deadline or launch date:
What happens next at Productoons
After checkout you land in your client dashboard, where the brief form asks for exactly these items. Your script arrives within 24 hours. Approve it or ask for changes, and the finished 9:16 video is delivered within 48 hours of approval, with one revision round included. See how it works or pick a package.