How Can B2B Software Videos Be Fun and Exciting?

Steal the energy from B2C ads. Borrow the playbook from Coca-Cola and Airbnb, then translate it into something brand-safe for B2B.

Quick Answer

• B2B software video often feels boring because teams take themselves too seriously.
• Ovation CXM is studying B2C ads from brands like Coca-Cola and Airbnb to translate the energy into B2B.
• The goal in 2026 is video that's creative and fun without sacrificing brand safety.

Why borrowing from B2C is the key to fun B2B video

Sherri Schwartz, Head of Marketing at Ovation CXM, says the natural advantage of B2C marketing is that the products are inherently fun to shoot. A Coca-Cola can bursting with juice on screen, a new energy drink flavor splashing across the frame, a clothing brand showing a model dancing in a city street. The visuals carry themselves.

"Sometimes it can feel like it's boring. How do I show software in a video?" — Sherri Schwartz

That's the question her team is wrestling with for 2026. Software doesn't naturally explode with juice. So instead of trying to invent something fun from scratch, they're studying the B2C playbook and asking what they can borrow.

The exercise looks like this: pull out really fun B2C videos that the team genuinely likes, then ask what would need to change to make this B2B-friendly for our business. The energy and the creative approach translate. The specific elements get swapped for something brand-safe.

Sherri's framing is important. She doesn't want her brand to take itself too seriously. But she also can't be Coca-Cola. The middle ground is creative confidence with B2B credibility.

"How can we creatively show ourselves the same way that an Airbnb could or a Coca-Cola commercial could?" — Sherri Schwartz

The practical move for B2B software teams in 2026: build a swipe file of B2C ads you wish you could make, then run a quarterly exercise of translating one or two of them into B2B-safe creative. The point isn't to copy. It's to break out of the convention that B2B software video has to be serious to be credible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does B2B software video often feel boring?

Because most teams treat seriousness as a proxy for credibility. Software doesn't have inherent visual drama like a Coca-Cola can or a fashion shoot, so the default is to play it safe with talking heads and product screenshots. The result is video that's competent but forgettable.

How can B2B brands make their videos more creative without losing credibility?

Study B2C ads from brands like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, or energy drinks, and ask what creative elements would translate to B2B if reframed. The energy, the pacing, and the willingness to be playful can carry over. Specific visual gimmicks get swapped for something brand-safe for your category.

What's the difference between brand-safe and boring in B2B video?

Brand-safe means the video aligns with your brand identity and won't embarrass the company in front of enterprise buyers. Boring means the video plays it so safe it doesn't get noticed. Sherri Schwartz at Ovation CXM is pushing her team in 2026 to be creative without crossing the brand-safety line, using B2C ads as inspiration rather than literal templates.

Full Clip Transcript

Selling shampoo or clothes or a Coca-Cola or a new energy drink. That can be really fun in ways to show video of like you've seen the Coca-Cola can bursting and it's all juicy and looks great or a new flavor and it's got cherries and everything all over it. It's really creative sometimes to show that. Sometimes it can feel like it's boring. How do I show software in a video? So what we're challenging ourselves to do in 26 and this again is another way to how do you drive video excitement year over year. We are testing out new concepts where we're pulling out really fun B2C videos that we like and how can I make that B2B friendly for my business so that our videos come to life in an even more fun and creative way where we don't take ourselves too seriously. I don't want that. I don't want to take ourselves too seriously but how can we creatively show ourselves the same way that an Airbnb could or a Coca-Cola commercial could and that's where we're going in 2026 with our video strategy.