The Grass Is Greener with Anna Kendrick in Witty LPL Financial Campaign

LPL Financial LLC teamed up with Oscar-nominated actress Anna Kendrick to ask the provocative question “What If You Could?”, paired with Kendrick’s characteristic charm, as part of a new nationwide push crafted by creative and media agency Zambezi. The integrated campaign includes a TV spot and a series of linear, digital, audio, social, OOH, print, and search advertising that will run across business, sports, and lifestyle outlets throughout the country.

Formed in 1989 as an accessible alternative to traditional Wall Street firms, LPL Financial is now among the most successful companies in wealth management. Through the company’s vast network of independent financial advisors as well as advisors affiliated with financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, and insurance companies, LPL now manages approximately $1.8 trillion on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans.

As a 36-year-old company embracing a belated first impression, LPL Financial and Zambezi knew that the company had to break through the typically conservative and expected wealth management marketing—just like how LPL broke through the industry in 1989, with the staunch belief that firms should work for the advisor, and not the other way around. Instead of featuring retirees living their best financially secure lives, LPL flipped the script with the always affable Anna Kendrick to provoke ambition and practical aspiration…and curiosity in a brand serving the aforementioned 7 million American customers.

“We’re stepping into the spotlight to embrace the same ambition of our founders,” said Christa Carone, chief marketing and communications officer at LPL Financial. “For a company that operates in service of helping people realise their dreams, we believe the only question really should be, 'What if you could?’ It’s through this innovative spirit that LPL is taking ownership of its market position, amplifying our brand presence to align with the firm’s growing scale and success.”

Anchored by a 60-second spot starring Anna Kendrick, the integrated campaign is the first from LPL to directly engage the consumer in the company’s history. The ad opens with Kendrick pulling a giant, plush field of green grass through city streets, asking viewers a variety of aspiring questions—with a dose of her witty humour—because LPL wants its customers to know that, when it comes to their goals, nothing is more powerful than knowing you can reach them.

“‘What if you could?’ is such a powerful question that provokes endless possibilities for everyone,” said Anna Kendrick. “Just imagine the potential when the greener grass is always on your side. LPL is in a position to make this happen. It’s really cool to partner with the company that is helping people see all that their future can hold.”

Zambezi approached the campaign, according to Zambezi’s chief creative officer, Gavin Lester, with a simple message made unforgettable through visual metaphor and inventive expression. He notes, “We aimed to create something engaging, memorable—even poetic—to invigorate the financial category and show that these institutions can be interesting, culturally relevant, and connect with people in more meaningful ways. ‘The grass is always greener on the other side’ might be a well-known cliché, but we refreshed the metaphor by pushing it to preposterous lengths. In doing so, we gave the sentiment new life, demonstrating that even a well-worn metaphor can be reborn.”

“LPL Financial has such a strong reputation and is among the most successful and most respected wealth management and independent financial advisory companies,” said Zambezi principal and CEO, Jean Freeman. “We are incredibly excited to partner on this campaign launch and contribute to the firm’s accelerated growth.”

This marks the first campaign after LPL Financial retained Zambezi as its first-ever agency of record for both media and creative, a win attributed to how effectively its creative, strategy, and media teams work together to build brands.

Director Tucker Bliss of RESET and DP Rodrigo Prieto, best known for The Wolf of Wall Street and Argo, bring a naturally cinematic and effortlessly charming quality to the ad, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality to make a giant patch of green grass draped over Kendrick’s shoulder seem easeful. The “greener grass” is brought to life through both puppetry and visual effects.

The spot will air this weekend during the PGA Championship, and on CNBC & local cable, with linear, digital, audio, social, OOH, print, and search kicking off across business, sports, local, and lifestyle outlets nationally. The creative concept is further brought to life with Fast Company, Axios, and Vox podcasts, and upcoming homepage takeovers at WSJ, Forbes, and Fast Company. Media is led by Scale by Zambezi.