TD Ameritrade looked to recreate the most iconic training montages from the Rocky movie franchise but with a new hero and coach. Jim and an aspiring investor, who is already confident but wants to get better. Deploying the iconic “Gonna Fly Now” Rocky soundtrack, we see the investor trainee get stronger and smarter before our eyes–dovetailing nicely with TD Ameritrade’s new “Where Smart Investors Get Smarter” campaign created in partnership with Havas New York.
Harry Bernstein, Havas NY chief creative officer, said, “It started with a simple insight: knowledgeable hungry investors can go to TDA (TD Ameritrade) to become smarter. So we brought this insight to life, in the literal sense, by tapping into nostalgia and the successful hungry trope of one of the most powerful and unforgettable training montages from the Rocky franchise. Fueled by iconic music and imagery, we showed what this smarter training looked like from the inside of a trader’s mind. We even had Rocky star Ivan Drago—Dolph Lundgren, who has a 160 IQ—make a guest appearance, further fueling and blurring the lines of reality and daydream.”
Titled “Training Montage,” the spot was directed by Brian Aldrich of production company Furlined.
Credits
Client TD Ameritrade Agency Havas New York Harry Bee, chief creative officer; Israel Garber, global executive creative director; Peter Gosselin, executive creative director; Jay Hunt, group creative director; Kevin Kearse, Akos Papp, creative directors; Chandler Bullock, copywriter; Allyn Scherr, art director; Tim Maleeny, president, chief strategy officer; Elaine Purcell, co-head of strategic planning; Jim Howell, strategy director; Cathy Pitegoff, head of production; Arlene Steinwald, executive broadcast producer; Victoria Lepham, jr. producer. Production Furlined Brian Aldrich, director; Jay Wakefield, exec producer; Jason Gilbert, line producer; Corey Walter, DP. Editorial Arcade Will Hasell, editor; Andrew Cravotta, post producer. Postproduction The Mill Mikey Rossiter, colorist; Luis Martin, sr. post producer; Kieran Hanrahan, lead Flame artist. Audio Post Sound Lounge Rob DiFondi, audio engineer; Lauren Mullen, producer. Music "Gonna Fly Now," from "Rocky" franchise
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
