• by Larissa Faw , September 3, 2015

Financial advertising is riddled with clichés. Campaigns either show glorious yachts and gilded libraries or worried families sitting around a kitchen table.

Now, global asset manager OppenheimerFunds is hoping to differentiate itself through optimism. "We want to enhance and elevate the conversation to capture the imagination and the spirit of investing," says Stephen Tisdalle, Head of Brand Marketing, OppenheimerFunds.

Developed with MRM//McCann, the "Invest in a Beautiful World" campaign includes print, out-of-home, digital, and in-person communications through financial advisors.  

The campaign is also bringing Oppenheimer back to TV for the first time in seven years with ads running on CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox Business. Havas Media handled the media buying and planning. 

The concept uses imagery and scenes from around the world to illustrate that "finding new possibilities in places still being explored, seeing beauty in things others might overlook, and identifying a future still being contemplated," says Tisdalle. 

Each provocative picture was carefully selected for its broader definition. For instance, "Our limited-term bond fund uses an image of cardboard, “says Tisdalle. "What is beautiful about cardboard? Well, with this fund you don't want gyrations. It is a long-term view. And cardboard is very steady and stable. There are no surprises."

Another image features garbage. "What is beautiful about trash? You can reuse and recycle trash which creates value which is what we do with our investment funds."

Here is a link to the TV spot.

This campaign represents a new direction for the investment institution. "One big difference compared to our previous campaign is the lack of [the need] to create awareness for the brand. We are [thankfully] well-known," says Tisdalle. As a result, this high-level recognition enables the organization to focus more on specific value-added propositions.

Still, it was a key challenge to develop messaging that explains its investment principles to resonate with both retail and institutional investors. Thus, the campaign is fully integrated with an end-to-end connection threaded from TV, print and out-of-home advertising to its Web site to a newly introduced brand ambassador program that taps 29 influential executives to better implement this platform internally.

“We have taken an entirely different approach and anchored our message on optimism," says Marty Willis, Chief Marketing Officer, OppenheimerFunds. "Once you look to the long term and expand your view, as we do at OppenheimerFunds, the world reveals itself to new opportunities that others may have missed.”

Although the campaign runs primarily in the U.S., the Beautiful World concept will be adapted into its global partnership with the Financial Times that supports emerging markets by awarding and recognizing top talent in those countries in literature, art, and film. 

OppenheimerFunds has been with MRM//McCann for nearly one year.