Kinetic Typography: Talking Heads Did It

Have you noticed the recent trend spots using kinetic type? You’re not alone. My friend Brian is fed up with them, and has decided to start a collection in order to name and shame those who are abusing Adobe After Effects. Offenders include The Girl Effect, Motrin (and the brilliant Motrin ad parody), Ford, Starbucks, and TOMS. With budgets getting tighter, it’s no surprise we are seeing a ton of these spots that are relatively cheap to produce. But they all look the same. And they also look like the movie quote kinetic type videos that popped up on YouTube almost two years ago.

The above video is an early example of kinetic typography, way before After Effects. “Nothing But Flowers” is a song from Talking Heads’ 1988 album Naked. Great video for a great song.