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Understanding Commercial Animation: A Nigerian Perspective
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Visual communication design and Advertising
Abstract
In this paper, the origin of contemporary animation practice is traced from the renowned Tom and Jerry animated series, created by American animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at MGM Studios in 1940, to animations developed for product promotion, entertainment, and campaigns in Nigeria. The paper explores the use of dynamic imagery as a tool for product advertising and notes that it has undergone continuous evolution to set pivotal landmarks in the emergence of Nigeria's animatic journey, thus pointing to the evolving post-independence animation industry. Despite these achievements in Nigeria?s growing animation industry, the paper observes a dearth of extensive literature documenting its evolution, particularly regarding commercial animation as a genre. It notes that most animated projects in Nigeria are tailored more towards animated films than product commercials, even though animation is a powerful marketing tool. This study thus explores the history of commercial animation in Nigeria and its role in shaping the country's product promotion landscape. It discusses the pre-independence history of product commercials, their connection with cartoon art, and how this evolved into animated media. The study also examines the impact of foreign influences on the development of animation in Nigeria, which contributed to the emergence of a homegrown animation industry. Anchored in the mediation of reality theory in advertising and brand identity prism theory, with desk research and observational techniques as methodologies, the study investigates the practice of commercial animation in Nigeria, how its influences are impacting the Nigerian product promotion space, and the animism and strategies employed in its practice to promote indigenous products.
Keywords
Animism, Commercial Animation, Commodity Fetishism, Indigenous Content
How to cite this paper
@article{1707165,
author = {Toluwani Taiwo David, Prof. Amifor John},
title = {Understanding Commercial Animation: A Nigerian Perspective},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2025},
volume = {8},
number = {8},
pages = {351-366},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1707165.pdf},
abstract = {In this paper, the origin of contemporary animation practice is traced from the renowned Tom and Jerry animated series, created by American animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at MGM Studios in 1940, to animations developed for product promotion, entertainment, and campaigns in Nigeria. The paper explores the use of dynamic imagery as a tool for product advertising and notes that it has undergone continuous evolution to set pivotal landmarks in the emergence of Nigeria's animatic journey, thus pointing to the evolving post-independence animation industry. Despite these achievements in Nigeria?s growing animation industry, the paper observes a dearth of extensive literature documenting its evolution, particularly regarding commercial animation as a genre. It notes that most animated projects in Nigeria are tailored more towards animated films than product commercials, even though animation is a powerful marketing tool. This study thus explores the history of commercial animation in Nigeria and its role in shaping the country's product promotion landscape. It discusses the pre-independence history of product commercials, their connection with cartoon art, and how this evolved into animated media. The study also examines the impact of foreign influences on the development of animation in Nigeria, which contributed to the emergence of a homegrown animation industry. Anchored in the mediation of reality theory in advertising and brand identity prism theory, with desk research and observational techniques as methodologies, the study investigates the practice of commercial animation in Nigeria, how its influences are impacting the Nigerian product promotion space, and the animism and strategies employed in its practice to promote indigenous products.},
keywords = {Animism, Commercial Animation, Commodity Fetishism, Indigenous Content},
month = {February},
}