NerdWallet Puts an End to Indecision in ‘Smartest Decision’ Campaign

Even during relative times of certainty, financial choices can be tough to make. In fact, four in five consumers say they put off financial decision making because the decision can be so overwhelming. NerdWallet, a personal finance website and app, is out to change that. By providing side-by-side comparisons backed by objective expertise, the Nerds make it easy to know you are making the smartest financial decision for you.

NerdWallet is debuting their first brand campaign with newly appointed creative agency of record, Deutsch LA. The campaign, ‘Smartest Decision’ is centred around helping people overcome indecision and anxiety around financial decisions. Putting the power back in the hands of consumers for all of Life’s big and small moments.

NerdWallet wants to encourage consumers to lean on them as a committed resource, providing trustworthy and knowledgeable financial guidance.

NerdWallet Nerds have always functioned behind the scenes as the brand’s unbiased personal finance advisors. But this is the first time they’ll take centre stage in the brand’s advertising campaign. Nerds personified, viewers will see them doing what they do best - providing guidance and helping consumers make informed, valuable decisions. 

In actuality, NerdWallet has over 100 independent editorial experts across every financial topic ranging from insurance to investing and credit cards and so much more - they back the pros & cons and financial guidance that consumers receive when using NerdWallet to find the right financial products.

The fully integrated campaign, ’Smartest Decision’ features spots such as: ‘On the Fence’, ‘Dragging Feet,’ and ‘Frozen.’ Together with social, digital and out of home, they illustrate the inertia so many people experience when faced with making financial decisions and how NerdWallet 's side-by-side comparisons can provide consumers with the clarity they need to make confident financial decisions.

“At DeutschLA, we definitely didn’t drag our feet when given the opportunity to work with Nerdwallet. We were honoured to become their AOR at such an important time for personal finance. Now more than ever we know that financial decision making can be a daunting and even scary task,” says Deutsch LA’s executive creative director Ryan Lehr. “But having the Nerds, is having unbiased knowledge and expertise on your side – so that you can make the smartest decisions. And getting to bring these helpful Nerds to life was a unique, but super fun creative challenge. They appear in moments of indecision, or fin-decision, to help the good guys out!”

To show the breadth and level of expertise NerdWallet offers, a different Nerd appears in each spot to advise on a different financial vertical—everything from mortgage loans and travel rewards credit cards and beyond. 

“NerdWallet’s new brand campaign, 'Smartest Decision', comes at a pivotal time where consumers are looking for trustworthy financial guidance as they navigate this macroeconomic environment,” said Alison McGlone, senior director of brand marketing at NerdWallet. “Everyone could use some clarity to feel confident they are making the best financial decisions and not leaving money on the table. For the first time ever in our advertising campaign, we personify the real Nerds behind all of our financial guidance. The campaign shows consumers what a trusted financial ecosystem NerdWallet can be to help them move through moments of indecision - making it easy to discover, compare and find the best financial products for them”

The media strategy, developed by AOR Mediahub, encompasses linear, Out-of-Home, OTT, streaming audio, podcasts, digital video, and social, including Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok.

To reach NerdWallet’s custom audience targets, the media strategy prioritises media channels and opportunities that align with their passion points, and educates consumers that while we can't help them make a decision between choices involving things like: sports, music, gaming, we can help them find the best credit card to help them enjoy their passions more.

The creative and media are tailored to each audience, using data signals to find and connect with them in the formats and environments they love most. 

Custom OOH activations take their cues from different locales – media running on Gas Station TV, Volta EV charging stations, Captivate in-elevator, rideshare, malls, and airports play off their environments with clever, customised messaging for visitors in each.