Who: TD, with Leo Burnett for strategy and creative, and Unison for media.
What: “Becoming an Investor,” a new ad running in the Super Bowl that is part of a larger launch campaign for TD’s new investing app, Easy Trade.
When & Where: The ad is running multiple times during the game on Sunday, but since TD is targeting the app towards younger investors, there’s also an extensive digital campaign that includes Twitch and the usual social channels.
Why: The new app is for DIY stock trading, and TD wants to make investing in stocks as simple as possible. The ad campaign wants to remove the intimidation of getting started.
How: The ad presents two young friends in a coffee shop. One discovers that his friend is investing on her phone, and confesses that he wouldn’t know where to start.
As he ponders the idea, his mind races through a quick-paced montage of stereotypical investing tropes, barking out “buy” and “sell” at one point, and finding himself in a series of cliche high-finance setting—such as a fancy lobster dinner and a country club. He’s eventually brought back to reality by his friend: “Dude, as a first time investor I just use TD Easy Trade,” she says. “It’s simple.”
The ad depicts some of the daunting “trials and tribulations” some young investors imagine they’ll have to go through, said TD’s chief marketing officer, Betsey Chung. “What we provide is an ability to learn and to share some of the aspects of investing that may appear daunting to begin with, but you’re not alone. We’re by your side as an ally to be able to help you… through a very easy-to-navigate app that allows you to understand all aspects of investing every step of the way.”
The pacing is fast and the tone is light, with a modern feel and a diverse cast, she said. And it performed extraordinarily well in testing with Kantar. “It actually tested the best out of all our ads at TD over the last few years,” said Chung.
Why Leo Burnett? TD had Leo Burnett as its creative agency for several years, but selected Ogilvy last summer. However, for such an important product launch and a Super Bowl ad debut, TD has been working on this one for months—well before choosing Ogilvy. “It’s been a great collaboration,” said Chung of the work with Leo Burnett.
The Super Bowl buy: The ad is running in English and French multiple times, from the pre-game show right through the game. “Not everyone is watching the entire game,” said Chung. “And so for us to be there throughout the quarters and the pre-game, it allows us to have maximum viewership of TD Easy Trade.”
In Twitch: TD is working with esports influencer KarQ of the Toronto Defiant to create content for his 153,000 followers. TD has been a sponsor of the Defiant, part of OverActive Media, since August 2020.
And we quote: “During the pandemic, we saw a significant increase in demand for online investing, with more people trying DIY investing from home, and for the first time,” said Tony Ierullo, vice-president, at TD Direct Investing, when Easy Trade was launched last month. “This growth in new accounts and trading volumes was driven largely by new and younger investors, which is why it was important to us to launch an app that is easy-to-use, with low trading fees and available support to ensure investing is accessible to this emerging, fast growing investing segment.”
