Remember the big plans you made for your future self when you were just a kid? Back then, you imagined that, once you’ll be old enough, you’ll be a doctor, a police officer, a firefighter, and the list goes on. Still, many kids’ dreams job is to break the Earth’s barriers, venture into the cosmos, and look at the wonderful blue ball from up. An astronaut; that’s what they aspire to be someday.
But even working from such an office can get old after a while. Just look at Jerry, the astronaut from E*TRADE‘s ad who, after fifteen journeys to the Moon and back, has had enough of his outer space job. Designed with the help of MullenLowe New York, the financial company highlights the importance of having a retirement plan via a 30-second-long humorous spot, in which we see the veteran astronaut regretting his decision for not having invested in his future when he had the chance.
Simply titled “Astronaut,” the video opens with two space flyers who look like experiencing the Overview Effect for the very first time in their careers. Being on a lunar mission, the two are in for a premiere: The Blue Planet gloriously rising over the Moon’s horizon. But this is a view that must be enjoyed by everyone who has the chance, so they invite their colleague to join them for this memorable show. Busy solving a crossword puzzle, the older astronaut doesn’t look interested in following the celestial spectacle because, well, “after 15 walks, it gets a little old,” he says.
“Time is one of the most critical factors when it comes to sound investing,” says E*TRADE CMO, Andrea Zaretsky. “Countless studies show that the earlier your start investing, the better off you will be down the road. And so, with that in mind, we’re aiming to show the consequences of not acting early — delivered in our irreverent and witty brand voice.”
“We figured even dream jobs must get old after a while,” adds Rich Singer, Group Creative Director at MullenLowe. “The thought of an astronaut who’s still doing missions because he can’t afford to retire struck us as really funny.”
To make the ad have that lunar feeling, the team combined VFX work with real images, which were shot overnight in a rock quarry with a custom rover vehicle. “We took great pains to make the moon feel as real as possible,” explains Zack Menna, MullenLowe Group, Creative Director. “We wanted the viewer to experience what it’s like to see the earthrise on the moon, to feel the awe and wonder of that setting… before we pulled the rug out from under them.”
The cosmic story offers a first glimpse into E*TRADE’s new brand platform, “Stop Waiting. Start investing,” which had its debut in October. The spot will air through the first half of the next year and is centered around a retirement message. Yet, it is built on the same idea as the brand’s Super Bowl ad — that of encouraging consumers to take charge of their finances with E*TRADE.
Credits:
Client: E*TRADE
CMO, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management & E*TRADE: Andrea Zaretsky
Executive Director, Brand & Advertising, E*TRADE: Dawn Burke
Natalie Labuda: Vice President of Marketing, E*TRADE
Agency: MullenLowe New York
Managing Director: Rebekah Pagis
Executive Creative Directors: Tim Vaccarino, Ricard Valero
Group Creative Directors: Rich Singer, Zack Menna
Assoc. Creative Director, Art: Sharon Park
Assoc. Creative Director, Copy: Alice Burton
Executive Director of Integrated Production: Lisa Setten
Executive Producer: Gillian Blain
Producer: Sam Reinstein
Group Account Director: Ryan Maheu
Account Directors: Mitchell Wilson, Renato Barbosa, Rolando Leal
Sr Account Executive: Haley Muratore
Head of Strategy: Jonny Gadd
Strategy Director, Social: Jamie Cuthbertson
Senior Strategist: Hunter Kelly
Operations Manager: Olivia Scala
Project Manager Supervisor: Katie Hanson
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Nick Ball
Executive Producer: Emma Wilcockson
Editorial Company: Union
Editor: Justin “Q” Quagliata
Producer: Susan Motamed
VFX: Parliament
VFX Supervisor: Paul O’Shea
Producer: Bethaney Phillips