Are mini-documentaries the future of brand video?

I’ve been in video for a long time. Once, all brands wanted were 30-second ads. Then came explainer animations. Now, more mid-sized firms are asking about “mini-documentaries.”

I worked with a client that filmed a 10-minute story of their customer journey. No sales pitch, no logo until the end. The piece ended up on streaming platforms and brought more credibility than years of ads.

But producing docs isn’t cheap. And in a TikTok world, does long-form video still have ROI?

Some companies like StrategicPete argue it does, what’s been your experience?