Aberdeen Standard Investments

Problem

Nike!
Google!
Coca Cola!
Asset management!

The many faces of Finance are often on the receiving end of any number of adjectives. ‘Stuffy’, ‘methodical’ – even ‘dull’ – but seldom ‘fun’ because they are, by and large, not. So creating an engaging global campaign for this world giving represented quite a challenge.

When Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments joined forces, the financial industry questioned the merger. What could it offer beyond patchy Emerging Markets and Absolute Return expertise? Investors, advisers and clients throughout EMEA, the US and Asia all sought reassurance that ‘ASI’ could now provide genuine benefits for all, whatever their needs.

That reassurance wasn’t going to come easily, and ASI realised that a successful campaign would need to firstly highlight the global investment capabilities, and then showcase the breadth and depth of expertise that they would uniquely combine to answer specific client needs – ultimately broadening and interconnecting the global expertise of two major players to deliver better client outcomes.

Oh, and it had to be engaging. And fun.

Solution

Expansive real-world scenarios were sketched out with a face appearing subtly to tie in with the headline structure and proposition – multiple investments solutions, one sharp focus: you. It had to be something that easily lent itself to translation, a campaign that resonated globally and transcended linguistic barriers.

The campaign involved print ads, online digital ads (which involved subtle movements to fit within small media spaces), plus video that appeared out of home from Strathclyde to Singapore.