Boring Office Worker Has All the Facts in Factset Spot

FactSet, a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider, has partnered with Chicago-based creative agency VSA Partners to unveil a second round of spots in its 'Not Just the Facts' campaign. The campaign originally launched in April this year with impressive results. 

The campaign was built on a core strategic insight: While quality data is critical for financial professionals, facts in isolation provide little value. FactSet’s personalisation, data connectivity, open and flexible technology, and dedicated service and support provide the context necessary for the investment community to turn facts into valuable insights - and make the most of them.

The new creative picks up where the previous left off. This time it focuses on a particularly boorish office worker, drolly played by character actor Wyndham Maxwell, who ticks off an encyclopaedic list of facts and non sequiturs during business meetings and in an elevator to the bemusement of his colleagues. 

The tongue-in-cheek campaign, which plays more like a perfect-pitch comedy series than a typical B2B commercial effort, is unlike anything else in the financial services industry - both in its use of humour and in its humanistic approach. Starting this week, FactSet will roll out 16 unique spots - a combination of :30s, :15s, :06s and nine 'shorts' - across multiple channels including digital, streaming and CTV.

“We are thrilled with the success of our bold ‘Not Just the Facts’ campaign, which emphasizes what sets the FactSet brand apart: not just the breadth and depth of our data offering, but the intelligent solutions and advanced technology that contextualise it for global finance professionals,” said Jenifer Brooks, chief marketing officer at FactSet. “We’re proud of how the campaign’s direct and relatable tone, which challenges industry norms, has resonated with audiences. As we look toward this next phase of the campaign, we will continue to bring fresh perspectives and empathetic storytelling to demonstrate the value of our offerings.” 

The first round of the 'Not Just the Facts' campaign earlier this year achieved outstanding results, resonating deeply and driving significant engagement. The spots achieved 193 million impressions with a 98% increase in click-through rates and a 36% rise in video view-through rates across the campaign platform. 

“Humour is an incredible way to connect with audiences - and the results we saw in round one of the campaign confirm it,” said Kim Mickenberg, associate partner and executive creative director at VSA. “In ‘Not Just the Facts,’ we’ve built a platform that lets us entertain and engage our audiences while telling a really clear, compelling story about what makes FactSet so different. We’re so proud of the work and all the collaboration that went into it.” 

Los Angeles-based Docter Twins Matthew and Jason Docter directed the original campaign and this new work through their production company, Thinking Machine. The identical twin brothers grew up in the Midwest and were heavily influenced by classic comedy directors like the Coen brothers and John Hughes. Their work is known for a subtle sensibility that balances smart performance and cinematic style with a witty flair for storytelling.

“It’s tough to choose a favourite line when working with the amazing team at VSA,” said the Docter Twins. “Two of our favourites from this go-round are “‘Trees can recognise their siblings’ and ‘Some dinosaurs had really tiny arms…and could probably only bench press like 400 lbs.’ VSA’s Kim Mickenberg, Megan Schulist, creative director, and Bryan Haney, motion producer, are never short on ideas. And with a client like global head of brand Christina Sradj and others at FactSet willing to let us riff, the actors find a playful space and never let up. They were best friends by the end of the shoot, which sums up the fun we all had working together.”