Strategies for creating successful soundless video advertisements: Speaking volumes through silence

Video advertising is increasingly prevalent, appearing in more and more places across the web and on social media. These advertisements often are viewed without sound, which possibly affects their effectiveness and meaning. This article draws on advertising and screen-media research and analyzes advertisements drawn from both articles and an agency dataset. It also includes interviews with advertising professionals experienced with soundless video to build novel understanding of the phenomenon of soundless advertising. The authors’ analysis reveals four strategies and associated operational tactics that advertisers can employ to develop more successful advertisements for soundless environments.