Product transformation
One thing turns into the product in a single move.
- Difficulty
- Needs editing skills
- Video length
- 5–10 s
- Brand cases
- 4, all with video
- Markets
- United States, France, United Kingdom
- Sources checked
- Nov 2026
What the format is
An object that shares a shape, colour or motion with the product turns into it: an orange becomes a juice bottle, a wave becomes a sneaker sole. It is done with a match cut, a practical trick or a CGI morph.
Beat by beat
- 1The source object0–1 s
- 2Motion that hides the cut1–2 s
- 3The product appears2–4 s
- 4Repeat or payoff4–6 s
- 1. 0–1 s
The source object
Show what the product will become, in a clean frame.
- 2. 1–2 s
Motion that hides the cut
A hand pass, spin, throw or wipe covers the switch.
- 3. 2–4 s
The product appears
Same position, same angle, now it is the product.
- 4. 4–6 s
Repeat or payoff
A second transformation with a variation, or the product in use.
Why it works
- The transformation is a visual metaphor that makes a claim without stating it: fresh, fast, natural.
- Match cuts are satisfying and often replayed to catch the exact moment.
- The simplest version, a cut hidden by a hand pass, can be shot on a phone in an afternoon.
How brands shot it
4 cases, 4 with the original video. The videos come from the brands’ own accounts or their agencies and play in the platform’s player.
Apple
In handmade claymation, the Mac mini shape-shifts into a robot, a rocket, a race car and a bodybuilder, among other forms.
- Made by
- TBWA\Media Arts Lab with Blinkink and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
- Video
- YouTube, posted by Apple (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Muse by Clio
Chanel
Gabrielle ChanelA fully CGI film where blooming flowers turn into rippling water and then dancing fabric, each element flowing into the next until the perfume appears.
- Made by
- Builders Club
- Video
- Vimeo, posted by Builders Club (production company)
Trade pressRead the source: Ads of the World
Starbucks
It Starts with YouA one-minute single take where in-camera tricks move from one ingredient to the next: almonds turn into milk, espresso pours from a shot glass into a mug, and the view passes from barista to customer.
- Made by
- iris London; directors The Queen
- Video
- YouTube, posted by Starbucks UK (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Shots
Hermès
MétamorphoseD&AD Wood Pencil 2015A film for the spring/summer collection in which Hermes products change into one another in a continuous chain of handmade, in-camera style transformations, so each object morphs into the next.
- Result
- The film won a D&AD Wood Pencil in Crafts for Advertising in 2015. Source: D&AD.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by Digitas UK (agency account)
Trade pressRead the source: D&AD
Where it took off
Hermès’ Métamorphose film, entered at D&AD in 2015, is a documented early case of products changing into one another in an unbroken chain. We haven’t found a source on when the format became common in social ads.
Make it yours
- Food & drink
A lemon is tossed up and a can of lemon soda falls back into the hand.
- Fashion
A crumpled paper ball unfolds into a knitted beanie.
- Tech
A notebook page tears off and lands on the desk as a tablet.
Make your version
Type your product and get a storyboard of this format, with one prompt per beat, ready for a video generator.
Video generators handle this format well
Storyboard
- 1. 0–1 s
The source object
Locked-off shot of a clean studio tabletop with an everyday object that has the same shape and colour as your product.
- 2. 1–2 s
Motion that hides the cut
A hand passes in front of the lens and the object spins, hiding the cut.
- 3. 2–4 s
The product appears
Same position, same angle: the object is now your product.
- 4. 4–6 s
Repeat or payoff
your product in use, or a second transformation with a small twist.
The whole video in one prompt
Enter your email to open the full prompt. We’ll also send you the weekly brief; unsubscribe any time.
The prompt also works in Kling, Veo, Seedance and other video generators.
Before you generate
- Upload a photo of your real product to the generator (image to video), so the packaging, logo and label stay right.
- Make a still frame first and animate only the one you like: video costs more.
- Label the result as AI-generated where the platform asks for it, and say it is CGI if it could pass for a real stunt.
- This is your own take on the format, not a copy of a brand’s ad. Leave out other brands’ logos, people and music.
How to produce it
A match cut on a hand pass or a spin can be shot on a phone. Morphs and liquid transitions need CGI.
Seen a brand use this?
Send us the link. If it checks out, it goes into the library with credit to you.
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