Can we admit it: video can unleash powerful brand stories, still a lot of the content we’re all being exposed to is little more than a glorified commercial. 

It’s painting a broad brush stroke, but it does seem that way when you troll through the social feeds, or look to see what’s being published by brands in places like YouTube or Snapchat. They’re trying. They’re often trying too hard. Viewers can sense it. They can smell it. Odds are that these consumers are ignoring it. Skipping it, not clicking to hear the audio or – at worst – they’re disabling their autoplay option. I know that I did this on Facebook, and it completely altered my user experience. Yep, I’m no longer distracted by a squirrel skydiving. It’s the small things. 

So, who is creating video content worth talking about and sharing?

One of the unique aspects of the TED conference (which took place in Vancouver this week) is how they produce each speaker session. Along with a theme and dynamic host, the speaker’s presentations are broken up with musical guests, and the occasional video. Most of them are super-engaging and run the gamut from silly YouTube-y like content, to rich mini documentaries. Chadburn Blomquist compiled as many of these “interstitials” (as the TED team calls them) into a YouTube playlist. Below are some of the ones that captured my attention. 

Pay attention brands: this is what great video content can be (happy watching)…