iShares Exchange Traded Fund's Can Expertly Do More Than People Think

Financial services firm BlackRock has launched a new campaign for its exchange-traded fund (ETF) brand iShares, including its first TV commercial in nearly 10 years. The suite of films centres around a fictional young girl named Eleanor T. Fitzsimmons, a child prodigy with varied, exceptional talents – and whose initials spell ETF, not uncoincidentally. Drawing on the notion that children are capable of more than many people may imagine, iShares draws a parallel between Eleanor and their own products, challenging investors to reconsider any preconceived notions about ETFs and asking them to ‘get a new perspective on [their] portfolio.’ The cinematic style and singular focus on a child are a significant departure from financial services category tropes. This is the brand’s first live action video work since its award-winning brand refresh last year by branding agency Turner Duckworth, and hiring creative AOR DDB San Francisco.

“The heart of iShares’ mission is to provide investors better ways to invest,” says Alexander Craddock, iShares Global CMO at BlackRock. “We have the largest and most diverse range of ETFs. With this in mind, we have designed the campaign and specifically these films to inspire all types of investors to reappraise what iShares ETFs are capable of and the role they can play in a portfolio. We also believe that an inspiring character such as Eleanor can create powerful emotional connections with our clients to drive our business forward.”

"Eleanor was a major step forward for the iShares brand because we were able to bring storytelling and craft to a category that usually defaults to heavy-handed product messaging and relatable lifestyle," says Ben Wolan, executive creative director DDB San Francisco.

The integrated campaign launches September 16th across channels including TV, digital, and out-of-home; global media duties are held by Mindshare.