• by Aaron Baar , September 23, 2008

Undeterred by the current economic climate--with daily news coverage of Wall Street's volatility and money lost by investors-- OppenheimerFunds is moving forward with a planned effort.

Marketing Daily. "They don't matter if the market is going well or not."

The new effort is intended to continue positioning Oppenheimer as the "voice of reason and confidence," Dunbar says. The work, which includes television, print and online components, uses numbers to represent the financial data available to even average investors these days. Through digital animation, television commercials depict characters emerging from the numbers to embark upon a personal dream. When the goal is realized, the animated world transforms into a color, live-action world. Tagline: "You're in the markets, but what do you want your numbers to add up to?"

"As an investment advisor, one of the things we can do is show consumers what all the data they get about their portfolio really means to them," Dunbar says. Oppenheimer had previously run a campaign that celebrated the company. One television spot depicted a kayaker navigating river rapids, while a voiceover said: "Challenge doesn't build character; it reveals it. ... For over 40 years, we've been able to prove we have what it takes to keep moving forward." But after seven years of building brand awareness, the company felt it was time to take a more consumer-centric approach, showing how the right planning can help them achieve their goals, Dunbar says. The new effort will continue several elements of the previous campaign, including its tagline, "The Right Way to Invest."

In addition to the television and print campaign, the company is embarking on its first consumer-oriented online effort, with a microsite providing information about the company and its products. Oppenheimer is also investing in search-engine marketing for the first time, Dunbar says.