FactSet, a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider, has unveiled a B2B campaign that demonstrates how, when it comes to the facts, context is everything.
Titled “Not Just The Facts,” the campaign from agency VSA shows what happens when members of the investment community are pelted with increasingly absurd and irrelevant facts. The ending reminds viewers that getting just facts—without context or personalization—is useless.
“The premise is comedic, but the point it makes is 100% true: The investment community is overwhelmed with information,” said FactSet CMO Jenifer Brooks. “FactSet provides our clients with industry-leading breadth and depth of data through an intelligent platform that ensures they’re getting not just the facts, but also the context they need to make the most of these facts.”
Thinking Machine’s Docter Twins–Matthew and Jason Docter–directed the package of comedy campaign spots, including this :30 titled “Donuts” in which one fact spawns assorted follow-up bits of info that could be charitably described as nonsensical in the big picture.
“The best way to stand out is to do something really memorable and different, and FactSet really embraced that with this campaign,” said Kim Mickenberg, associate partner and executive creative director at VSA. “There’s a misconception that B2B advertising has to be less interesting and emotional than consumer-facing ads, but the truth is that B2B buyers are people, too—and people love to laugh.”
“You know it’s a special project when the entire crew is enjoying each take just as much as the agency and client,” said Matthew Docter.
“We got involved early on because Kim’s scripts were so good, and we couldn’t have asked for a more creative collaboration,” Jason Docter added. “The teamwork on set kept us nimble and enabled us to capture a lot in a single shoot day.”
The Docter Twins are alums of SHOOT’s 2008 New Directors Showcase. The FactSet campaign is rolling out across digital, streaming, and CTV this week.
CreditsClient FactSet Agency VSA Kim Mickenberg, Josh Berta, associate partners/executive creative directors; Jessica Sochol, associate partner/strategy; Jessica Brown; associate director/strategy; Meghan Schulist, creative director; Sarah Trent, associate director/design; Tarek El-Mofty, associate partner/executive director, production; Bryan Haney, director, motion production; Thomas Horne, director, editorial & animation; Nate Pence, motion editor; Maria Erdmann, sr. copy editor; Ronnie Crecco, music composer. Production Company Thinking Machine Docter Twins, director; Alon Simcha, exec producer; Alexandra Byer, line producer; Kip Bogdhan, DP; Ursula Barker, art director; Lauren Charkow, casting director.
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More