On the heels of a successful campaign to #DropGold, the leading digital currency asset manager Grayscale Investments® turns from rocks to riches in “Nice Rock,” their latest commercial out of bicoastal production company Honor Society. The cinematic short was creative-directed, written, and directed by Brennan Stasiewicz, director of TV Series (Four Hands Menu 2018), documentary shorts and narrative films, and is the second campaign in which he collaborated directly with the successful digital currency brand, shepherding the creative from concept to completion.
“Grayscale, a company operating in a relatively conservative industry, has been unafraid to question the status quo,” notes Stasiewicz. “The fact that we had such success with the initial Drop Gold commercial is incredible, but what I’m most proud of is that Grayscale returned to us. I tried to deliver back to them the best films and campaign I could, and I’m damn proud of “Nice Rock” and so is Grayscale.”
In the spot, an old-fashioned employee named ‘Bob’ literally strikes gold with exaggerated fanfare after toiling away in an isolated mine, only to learn — through his company’s fearless female leader — that the firm has moved on and into the future with Grayscale® Bitcoin Trust (OTCQX: GBTC). The spot concludes with the female executive telling Bob about the shift to digital currency, kindly acknowledging that his gold nugget is a “nice rock,” further illustrating the stark contrast between dated and progressive financial institutions.
Taking ownership behind the firestorm debate between the value of gold vs. Bitcoin or “digital gold” in the 21st century, Grayscale uses the spot to move beyond shaking the cage, detailing why digital currencies are the future of major investments.
Following the company’s advertising debut in May 2019, Grayscale saw $171.7 million in inflows in the third quarter of 2019 into the Grayscale® Bitcoin Trust private placement — the most quarterly inflows ever in the product’s six-year history.
Stasiewicz has worked as a director in a variety of media including TV, documentary short film and narrative film. Brennan is credited with writing many of his filmmaking projects and defies easy categorization in his diverse slate of work. Brennan has also directed spots for such brands as Cadillac, Samsung, Google, Infiniti, Chevy, Chase Bank, Prudential, Southwest Airlines and Jim Beam.
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More