Three shoots. Three continents. Three weeks. When we talk about ‘going further for clients’ we usually mean it metaphorically. But recently the Sunday team found itself taking the phrase entirely literally
To help the CFA Institute – the global not-for-profit that sets professional and ethical standards for the investment and finance sectors – bring its new brand platform to life, we packed our bags and embraced a global itinerary. The core brief from the Institute was simple: ‘help bring a multi-country, multi-region advertising campaign to life’.
Our creative response was to focus on authentic, human-centric storytelling that gave depth and a new dimension to the Institute. The initial wave of the campaign launched across the financial hubs of London, New York and Toronto. Our team delivered the foundational supporting films, working with an agile timeline and a small budget where interviewees recorded themselves.
But the Sunday team knew that with more time we could do more to deliver powerful storytelling. There was a deliberate pause before the second wave of the campaign – and this gave us a window of opportunity. It allowed us to hone a sharpened, focused approach and uncover entirely new stories – and new voices for the CFA – from professionals across Singapore, Australia and Brazil. We then activated a trusted international network of filmmakers and directors who were able to capture these diverse voices – crucially making sure they were on brand.
With the local interviewees in place and the production teams coordinated, our content lead, Tim Stafford, got on a plane to help pull it all together in just three weeks.
The CFA Institute serves more than 200,000 active charterholders and 155 local member societies worldwide. It is responsible for awarding the prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst designation, which is regarded as the gold standard and most respected credential in the finance sector. Its core mission is to champion ethical behaviour and professional excellence. So the stakes are high for its public campaigns.
For Sunday it’s a project that shows why B2B requires such rigour. It can’t rely on a brand idea on its own. Nor can it rely on generic messaging. Stories have to be meticulously researched. They rely on a journalistic approach, where accuracy and authenticity sit alongside creativity. They also rely on finding the right people to speak about their experiences of the CFA. The power of this campaign lay in sourcing the individuals featured in the films. As our client said ‘this is like nothing we have done before’.
‘Each story has its own setting and voices, but all three make a shared idea clear: standards in finance matter because decisions have human consequences,’ says Emma Earnst, Director, Global Brand Marketing, CFA Institute. ‘Sunday has helped us tell a broader, more human story about the profession we serve.’
The films are being rolled out across the CFA’s website over the coming months. You can see the first one here.