• by Tanya Gazdik , July 19, 2020

Goldman Sachs is promoting its Marcus brand in a campaign featuring PGA golfer Patrick Cantlay.

The financial services company expanded its offerings in 2016 into consumer banking with Marcus by Goldman Sachs. Marcus, an online bank, offers high-yield savings accounts, high-yield certificates of deposit, and no-fee personal loans.

A 60-second spot from 72andSunny New York broke July 18 on CBS during The Memorial Tournament, which Cantlay won last year.

Cantlay is the first athlete Marcus by Goldman Sachs has sponsored, says Dustin Cohn, head of brand and marketing for Goldman Sachs' Consumer and investment management division (which includes Marcus). The brand and the athlete have a multiyear deal.

“Patrick knows a few people at Goldman Sachs, which led to us connecting with him and we were immediately very impressed,” Cohn tells Marketing Daily. “He is a very inquisitive person and took a strong interest in our brand and learning about how our products can help consumers improve financial well-being, and that made it clear to us that we wanted to work with him.”

Sponsoring an athlete helps the brand reach an even wider audience, he says. 

“As we look to continue to grow awareness for Marcus, we look for opportunities to expand our reach and inform consumers that may be able to benefit from our products,” Cohn says.

Creative features a letter his father, one of the key members of his support team, wrote Cantlay to help him on his journey. 

“Patrick’s team shared this very emotional letter that his father wrote to him and we were incredibly moved,” Cohn says. “The letter really brought to life the importance of having a strong support team behind you, which we are firm believers in.”

The spot ends with the line “Success starts with the right people behind you.”

“We feel that not only perfectly encapsulated Patrick’s relationship with his dad, but also Marcus’ relationship with our customers,” Cohn says.

The audience the brand’s products and services appeal to tend to have an affinity for sports -- and golf in particular, he says. 

“Aligning ourselves with someone like Patrick who shares our values provides great exposure for our brand to golf and sports fans across the country.,” Cohn says. “Marcus is also a young, up and coming financial brand and Patrick is a young, up and coming player, so it seemed like a perfect fit.”