OppenheimerFunds 'Challenge The Index' in New Brand Campaign

OppenheimerFunds, a leading global asset manager, today announced the launch of its new brand campaign: Challenge the Index. The campaign will build further awareness of the firm, while focusing on a number of specific product offerings, such as Revenue Weighted ETF strategies, including ESG, and the firm’s International Growth, International Bond and Emerging Markets Local Bond Strategies.

“Our marketing communications take an innovative approach that amplify our diverse offerings, which include smart beta ETF and actively managed investment strategies,” said John McDonough, Head of Distribution and Marketing, OppenheimerFunds. “Featured across digital media channels, Challenge The Index clearly indicates the innovative and differentiated ways we look at the world, offering trusted, long-term investing opportunities for our clients and their end investors."

The campaign website (www.challengetheindex.com) features a video of Krishna Memani, Chief Investment Officer at OppenheimerFunds, who articulates the firm’s focus on finding new ways to challenge the status quo of investing by identifying opportunities that others may not see. “Today’s markets demand that we challenge the conventional approach to investing and seek additional ways to drive long-term performance,” commented Memani. “We must continue to actively dive deep into markets and companies that are outgrowing global GDP to find true evidence of economic expansion and growing infrastructure.”

Building on the success of its award-winning Invest in a Beautiful World campaign, OppenheimerFunds has continued to evolve its brand message architecture:

OppenheimerFunds’ Challenge the Index campaign will execute a multifaceted media strategy to engage with the firm’s target client segments, which include financial advisers, broker dealers, RIAs, high-net-worth and institutional clients. Leveraging the latest in digital technology for desktop, mobile, tablet and other applications, the campaign presents compelling stories that challenge investors’ perceptions. For example, the campaign’s “Challenge Perceptions” message highlights the benefits of an emerging middle class in support of the firm’s actively managed International Growth strategy. Whereas its “Challenge 1957” message challenges investors' focus on traditional market cap index weighting

“Market cap weighting has been around since the S&P 500 was created in 1957. Investors today should consider more effective weightings such as revenue as a way to weight - and challenge - the index,” said Sharon French, Head of Smart Beta Solutions at OppenheimerFunds. “We continue to develop innovative solutions for clients, and most recently have added ESG to our Beta line up, with additional expansion efforts underway.”

As part of the launch, OppenheimerFunds partnered with Future Colossal to create an immersive interactive window installation at 67 Wall Street in New York. From April 5 to May 3, visitors can experience what Wall Street looked like in 1957, when the S&P 500 began as an index. OppenheimerFunds’ Revenue Weighted ETFs challenge that old thinking with a smarter way to weight the index. As part of the same installation, passersby can interact in augmented reality with animals symbolising global and emerging economies, to remind them to challenge home market bias, and perceptions about investing in these markets.

“In addition to our thought-provoking and highly visual digital advertising, this immersive experience gives the public a chance to interact with our brand right in the heart of the financial district,” said Erik Schneberger, Head of Brand & Client Experience. “It adds a fresh and innovative element of surprise and social engagement to our campaign.”

The public can share their experience with the campaign in person and on social media, including Twitter, Periscope and Snapchat - #ChallengeTheIndex.

Along with engaging clients, the firm challenged employees to create an internal headline that represents the campaign. Challenge Boundaries was selected as it "captures the unique investment philosophy of our International Bond strategy, and also expresses how we are challenging boundaries across the organisation with product development, client experiences and innovation," explained McDonough.