Can the behind-the-scenes video be a more compelling story than the commercial? US creative and media agency, Zambezi, has unwittingly produced an interesting scenario.
This is the commercial for LPL Financial:
This is its BTS video:
Both pieces of content ask the campaign question, What if you could?, a provocative question that triggers desire (and desire usually needs money). The self-aware BTS video stands out in the crowd.
The US campaign, that stars Oscar-nominated actress Anna Kendrick, covers TV, linear, digital, audio, social, OOH, print, and search advertising that will run across business, sports, and lifestyle outlets throughout the country.
“What if you could? is such a powerful question that provokes endless possibilities for everyone,” stated Anna Kendrick. “Just imagine the potential when the greener grass is always on your side. LPL is in a position to make this happen. It’s really cool to partner with the company that is helping people see all that their future can hold.”
Zambezi chief creative officer, Gavin Lester, added, “We aimed to create something engaging, memorable, even poetic, to invigorate the financial category and show that these institutions can be interesting, culturally relevant, and connect with people in more meaningful ways. ‘The grass is always greener on the other side’ might be a well-known cliché, but we refreshed the metaphor by pushing it to preposterous lengths. In doing so, we gave the sentiment new life, demonstrating that even a well-worn metaphor can be reborn.”
What if you could? Is the first campaign after LPL Financial retained Zambezi as its first-ever agency of record for both media and creative. Director Tucker Bliss of RESET and DP Rodrigo Prieto, best known for The Wolf of Wall Street and Argo, give the hero commercial its cinematic quality and quirky charm, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality to make a giant patch of green grass draped over Kendrick’s shoulder seem easeful. The “greener grass” is brought to life through both puppetry and visual effects.
“We’re stepping into the spotlight to embrace the same ambition of our founders,” said Christa Carone, chief marketing and communications officer at LPL Financial. “For a company that operates in service of helping people realise their dreams, we believe the only question really should be, ‘What if you could?’ It’s through this innovative spirit that LPL is taking ownership of its market position, amplifying our brand presence to align with the firm’s growing scale and success.”
The spot made its debut during the PGA Championship and will be amplified through Fast Company, Axios, and Vox podcasts, and upcoming homepage takeovers at WSJ, Forbes, and Fast Company. Media, led by Scale by Zambezi.
Credits:
Client: LPL Financial
CEO: Rich Steinmeier
Managing Director, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: Christa Carone
SVP, Brand & Creative: Chava Ziff
VP, Brand: Edison Lee
Senior Agile Marketing Consultant: Holly Bishop
Advertising Agency: Zambezi
CEO: Jean Freeman
Founder: Chris Raih
President: Laura Stayt
Chief Creative Officer: Gavin Lester
Associate Creative Directors: Alexa Thomas & Alayna Zideck
Senior Designer: Shelby Norman
Executive Producer: Jeri Low
Senior Producer: Faye Armstrong
Print Producer: Karen Youngs
Social & BTS Producer: Forrest Holt / Matt Valdepena
Group Account Director: Alyssa Tigue
Account Director: Rachel Lynn
Account Executive: Angelina Nguyen
Head of Strategy: Matt Babazadeh
Strategist: Justin Clagette
Associate Director, Project Manager: Lauren Northcott
Live Action Production: RESET
Director: Tucker Bliss
Producer: Kristin Porter
Executive Producer: Jen Beitler
Director of Photography: Rodrigo Prieto
Production Designer: Quito Cooksey
Still Photography
Photographer: Dean Bradshaw
Social & BTS Production: Cake Films
Camera OP: K.C. Lauf
Gaffer: Arthur Garcia
Sound Mixer: Juan Nunez
PA: Christopher Rosenblum
Teleprompter: McNulty Nielsen
Editorial: Cabin Editorial
Editor: Talia Pasqua
Assistant Editor: Lawrence Ng
Senior Producer: Esther Gonzalez
VFX: 1920 VFX
Creative Director: Bill McNamara
VFX Supervisors: Chris King / Chrys Aldred
VFX Arts: Adam Gramlick, Adam McHale, Alejandro Marzo, Loredana Gangemi, Taylor Webber, Ben Thomas, Caleb Marrett, Charlie Wilson, David Rencsenyi, Eva Bennet, Joe Baker, Greg Martin, Martin Blunden, Miles Tomalin, Monika Lesiecka, Victoria Stuart.
DMP: Jordan Haynes
VFX Producer: Ross Culligan
Production Co-ordinator: Melissa Carr
Colour: Trafik
Colourist: Mark Gethin
Assistant Colourists: Sam Ziaie
Colour Producer: Taravat Yazdan Panah
Head of Production: Greer Bratschie
Audio Post: Eleven
Sound Design: Jeff Payne
Mix: Jeff Payne
Executive Producers: Whitney Morris, Paula Arnett
Producer: Sean Kiely
Music Production: Mophonics
Arranger: Steph Altman
Orchestrator: Tony Fiala
Copyist: Allison Cantor
Creative Director, Mophonics: Steph Altman
Executive Creative Producer, Mophonics: Jean Scofield
