Docter Twins, VSA Skewer AI in New FactSet Campaign
Business folk gathered around the break room ask their resident AI bot – played by a smiling, pompadoured actor wearing a T-shirt that says ‘AI’ – about what’s driving more market gains. The bot, not surprisingly, thinks they mean fitness, as in ‘no pain, no gain.’ The resulting explanation it provides, in a spot titled “Gain,” includes goofy exercise moves rendered with all the grace of an elephant.
This is the heart of “Fluent in Finance,” a new brand campaign for FactSet, a provider of financial intelligence and enterprise data solutions, that was created by VSA Partners and directed by Thinking Machines’ directorial team known as the Docter Twins (who were recently featured in The Howler’s “Creative Conversations” series). Designed to pinpoint the weaknesses in “off-the-shelf” AI solutions, the laugh out loud spots making up this campaign underscore the importance of human expertise, encouraging business leaders to demand better.
“Fluent in Finance” builds on the success of FactSet’s award-winning 2023 “Not Just the Facts” brand initiative, includes four new video spots and a comprehensive out-of-home takeover of New York’s financial district. Both components leverage humorous, provocative creative to assert FactSet’s position as an industry leader at the inflection point of AI adoption.
As illustrated in the “Gain” spot, the campaign’s various iterations (check out all the spots here) use humor to illustrate the disconnect between general-purpose AI and the specialized needs of finance. The creative features scenarios where the beaming AI “assistant” misinterprets common financial terminology, like “hedge,” “attractive spread,” “alpha,” and “exposure,” as well as more general business terms, like “big fish.”
Unlike generic AI solutions, FactSet’s approach is built on a foundation of more than 47 years of financial data expertise, industry-leading content, and deep understanding of institutional investment workflows. The company’s AI solutions are purpose-built for finance professionals, trained on domain-specific data, and designed with the transparency, traceability, and reliability that the industry demands.
“In an era where AI promises are everywhere, financial professionals need a partner that truly understands their world,” says Jenifer Brooks, Chief Marketing Officer at FactSet. “Our AI isn’t just powerful, it’s fluent in the language of finance. It understands the nuances, context, and workflows that drive decision-making in our industry. This campaign reflects our commitment to delivering AI solutions that our clients can actually trust with their most critical decisions.”
VSA Partners, which has served as FactSet’s brand campaign partner since 2022, developed the integrated campaign to drive breakthrough awareness while maintaining the sophisticated, humor-forward approach that made “Not Just the Facts” so successful.
“FactSet is bold, innovative and clear-eyed about who they are and what they believe,” says Kim Mickenberg, Partner, Campaign Design at VSA Partners. “By using a familiar reference – an AI assistant – to show the limits of generic AI solutions, we’re able to tap into the zeitgeist and make a clear point: Technology alone can only do so much. Ultimately, it’s the human expertise behind it that makes all the difference.”
The spots were directed by the Docter Twins, Matt and Jason Docter, who also directed the award-winning “Not Just the Facts” spots. Their cinematic and comedic sensibilities elevate every scene, giving them their signature warmth and humanity, rare qualities in B2B advertising.
“Collaborating with the creatives at VSA, the FactSet client and an incredibly talented cast has been a continually evolving, rewarding process,” says Jason. Adds Matt, “Between the recurring cast and crew, the talented creatives at VSA, and the always welcoming client at the FactSet offices in Connecticut, we’ve become somewhat of a makeshift family. It feels like some kind of annual improv reunion.”
CREDITS
Client: FactSet
Jenifer Brooks: Chief Marketing Officer
Christina Sradj: Global Head of Brand
Mark Barrett: Senior Brand Manager
Angela Wang: Marketing Manager
Nicole Bruno: Marketing Content Manager
Shea Williams: Director Marketing Manager
Carol Sanders: Senior Social Media Specialist
Agency: VSA Partners
Kim Mickenberg: Partner and Executive Creative Director
Hugh Allspaugh: Director, Strategy
Maggie Ward: Associate Director, Strategy
Megan Schulist: Creative Director, Design
Cody Fenske: Associate Creative Director, Design
Rachel Kim, Katy Fiorini: Senior Designers
Tarek El-Mofty: Associate Partner | Executive Director, Production
Thomas Horne: Director, Editing and Animation
Nate Pence: Motion Editor
Maria Erdmann: Associate Director, Copy Editor
Briana Lockett Van Andel: Business Manager
Ronald Crecco: Music Composer
Sam Stalling: Associate Director, Production Design
Jennifer Niccum, Director, Integrated Producer
Cristina Anichini: Production Retoucher
Production Company: Thinking Machine
Jason Docter and Matt Docter (Docter Twins): Directors
Alon Simcha: Executive Producer
Alexandra Byer: Line Producer
Kip Bogdahn: Director of Photography
Ursula Barker: Art Director
Lauren Charkow: Casting Director
SFX: Briana Trischitta
