A drummer plays in a studio—this is “My shot.” It cuts to abstract illustrations labeled “Your illustration.” Then we enter a Dropbox Paper doc titled Illustration Motion Studies. It includes multiple illustration drafts, collaborator comments, a Soundcloud link, and a YouTube embed of the drumming clip. As the video plays inside the doc, visuals from the illustrations animate and blend into the live footage, merging different creative contributions into a unified scene. The final text reads: “Create together,” followed by the Dropbox Paper logo on a blue screen.
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)
Painful Truth = Creative collaboration is fragmented
Multiple file types, feedback sources, and formats often make group creative work clunky.
→ Lesson: Show the friction your product removes—and make it feel familiar.
Visual Metaphor = Live action meets animation
The ad fuses illustrated elements with real video to symbolize how creative work—audio, video, design—can come together seamlessly.
→ Lesson: Use visuals that reflect the actual benefit your product delivers.
Workflow in Action = See the inputs, not just the outcome
By displaying the doc interface with actual media and contributor notes, viewers see how Dropbox Paper works in a real project.
→ Lesson: Show the product solving a real use case without overexplaining.
Humor Breakdown
There’s no traditional humor here. Instead, the ad relies on visual creativity. The blend of illustration and footage makes it playful, immersive, and expressive. It captures the feeling of collaboration rather than describing it.
→ Lesson: You don’t need jokes if your visuals carry emotional and creative weight.
Final Verdict
This ad from Dropbox Paper nails the challenge of modern creative workflows. It shows—not tells—how messy collaboration becomes unified inside a single platform. The use of animation layered over live action makes the idea of “creating together” feel real and exciting. Without a word spoken, the product benefit is clear: everything in one place, working in harmony.
BRAVE-o-meter Score
B-7 | R-8 | A-7 | V-7 | E-8
BRAVE – 7.4/10
Watch the full ad & learn more:
Website: dropbox.com/paper
LinkedIn: Dropbox on LinkedIn
