A Kickstarter video has to explain a product that does not exist yet and convince strangers to fund it. These five examples cover a card game, a VR headset, a smart bird feeder, a camera accessory and a game funding challenge.
By
Larry Mutenda
| What are the best Kickstarter explainer video examples? Strong Kickstarter explainer video examples include Blueocean Games for a crowd-voted funding challenge, Exploding Kittens for a card game, Oculus Rift for a VR developer kit, Bird Buddy for a smart bird feeder and GNARBOX for a mobile footage backup device. |
A Kickstarter explainer video is the short video at the top of a crowdfunding campaign page. It explains what the project is, who is behind it and why it needs funding. Backers decide whether to pledge based on it, often before reading the rest of the page.
This article looks at five crowdfunding explainer videos. For four of them, I note what the campaign raised, taken from its Kickstarter page. After the examples, I cover what a Kickstarter video needs to include and how to plan one.
Here is a quick overview of the five videos in this article. The table links to each example below.
Each example explains a product or opportunity to people who are asked to fund it. The four Kickstarter videos are published on the creators’ own YouTube channels. Funding figures come from each campaign’s Kickstarter page, checked in October 2026. The Blueocean Games video comes from the Creamy Animation video library.
| # | Company | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueocean Games | A crowd-voted funding challenge |
| 2 | Exploding Kittens | A short, funny pitch for a card game |
| 3 | Oculus Rift | Launching a new hardware category |
| 4 | Bird Buddy | A smart product shown in daily use |
| 5 | GNARBOX | A camera accessory explained by its use |
Runtime: 0:33
Blueocean Games’ video promotes the Rising Tide Challenge. Game developers submit a short gameplay trailer, gamers vote, and select winners can receive up to $300,000 in funding. The challenge is open to anyone.
It is not a Kickstarter campaign, but it works on the same idea: the public helps decide which projects get funded. The video explains the steps in about half a minute.
The Blueocean Games video is drawn from the video library of Creamy Animation.
Runtime: 1:44
Matthew Inman’s video gives a brief explanation of Exploding Kittens, a card game built around kittens, explosions, laser beams and goats. The tone matches the game, so the video sells the product and its personality at the same time.
The campaign’s Kickstarter page shows 219,382 backers pledged $8,782,571 against a $10,000 goal.
Runtime: 4:53
This is the 2012 Kickstarter launch video for the Oculus Rift developer kit, a virtual reality headset designed for immersive 3D gaming. It had to explain a product category most viewers had never used.
The campaign’s Kickstarter page shows 9,522 backers pledged $2,437,429.
Runtime: 2:10
Bird Buddy is a smart bird feeder. Its campaign describes a feeder that notifies you of visiting birds, captures their photos and organizes them in a collection. The video was produced by Diskont films.
The campaign’s Kickstarter page shows 22,925 backers pledged €4,190,158 against a €50,000 goal.
Runtime: 3:30
GNARBOX describes its product as a mobile solution for viewing, backing up, editing and sharing HD footage from GoPro and DSLR cameras. The Kickstarter video is aimed at camera users who shoot away from a computer.
A crowdfunding video has more jobs than a normal product explainer. It should say who you are and what the project is. It should explain the problem the project solves and why you need funding to make it.
It should also show the rewards backers get and what happens if the goal is reached. Backers fund people as well as products, so many campaign videos show the team behind the project.
The examples here run from 33 seconds to just under five minutes. A short video works when the idea is simple, as with Exploding Kittens. A new kind of product, like the Oculus Rift, may need more time to explain.
Whatever the length, put the core idea in the first few seconds. Many viewers decide quickly whether to keep watching.
Decide who will fund the project. Gamers, photographers and bird watchers each need a different pitch.
Explain what the project solves before you show the product. GNARBOX starts from footage that needs backing up away from a computer.
Backers are paying for something that does not exist yet. Show prototypes or animation so they can picture it in use.
Say what the money will pay for and what backers get in return.
Exploding Kittens uses humour that fits the game. A hardware launch may need a more serious tone. The video should feel like the product.
It is the short video on a crowdfunding page that explains the project, the team and why funding is needed.
There is no fixed length. The examples here run from 33 seconds to just under five minutes. Put the core idea at the start either way.
Either can work. Live action shows a real prototype and the team. Animation can show a product that is not built yet.
Usually yes. Backers fund people as well as products, so showing the team builds trust.
Ask them to back the campaign. Make the reward and the next step clear.
It depends on length, style and production scope. See the explainer video cost guide for typical ranges.
Only with permission. Use licensed or royalty-free music, as the Exploding Kittens video does, to avoid copyright problems.
Yes. The Blueocean Games video uses the same idea for a funding challenge where gamers vote on which projects win.
A Kickstarter explainer video has to explain the project and earn trust in the same few minutes. The examples here do it with humour, demonstration or a clear description of the product in use.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. 15+ years in video strategy and production, specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.
