iShares Lets Your Best Investor Out in Pulse-Racing Surrealist Film from DDB SF

In Subway, a new spot for ETF-provider iShares from DDB San Francisco, Park Pictures director Bernd Faass takes us into the often confusing and disorienting realm of investing in the modern world. Faas delves into the surreal while positioning iShares as a partner to today’s retail investors who must navigate tremendous market volatility, inflation, rate hikes, crypto winters and more.

“When a person is investing, it can feel as if there are all of these invisible personas that co-exist inside them – alter egos who each calculate risk differently and want to make their own, often competing, decisions,” says Faass. “I wanted this film to make this illusion manifest visually, but without any VFX - just in-camera tricks, casting, makeup, styling, and editing. I love that the film forces the viewer to question what they’re seeing.”

Subway tells the story of a commuter who comes face-to-face with his investing alter-egos in a subway car, each representing an investing archetype. Opening with a moment of calm during a daily commute, the man is seemingly hemmed in by all his competing archetypes. Lights flicker, the train seems to accelerate and tension builds. In the end, he finds a light at the end of the dark tunnel – that he can leave his worst impulses behind and move forward with a longer-term vision.

“From the moment Subway begins, there’s an instant connection with the hero of the film,” says Park Pictures founding partner Jackie Kelman Bisbee. “Bernd has built an immersive world, drawing you into the mounting tension and drama. The result is a film that’s compelling and timely, which also lets viewers know that an alternative to the madness exists with iShares.”

“We're all susceptible to our impulses when it comes to decision-making, especially when it concerns our investments," says Steve Nathans, creative director at DDB San Francisco. “This film lets investors know that whether they’re just starting out or are longtime pros, iShares can help with tools and insights that make investing accessible and affordable.”