NerdWallet Warns: In Finance, Everything's Not What It Seems

The brand wants to be your ally

We’ve long suspected that some CFOs weren’t actually members of the human race.

NerdWallet proves us right in cute work from Deutsch L.A. that drops today.

The tale ostensibly begins in a swanky penthouse suite, where a chief financial dude in a ghastly toupee offers some advice: “I have one secret to help you build wealth. You need to be careful who you listen to when it comes to financial decisions.”

Soon, he strips off his suit, and so much more, illustrating that in the era of AI, deepfakes and rampant misinformation, investors can never be too careful.

In the end, our moneyman literally goes to pieces. He was just cake all along. Yes, cake. Bet you didn’t see that coming.

Nerdwallet positions itself as an ally, offering an app, website and various products to keep money matters from falling apart.

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“While we definitely had fun with the visuals, the core of the idea is actually pretty simple: get people thinking about who they’re trusting when it comes to financial decisions,” says Deutsch creative director Max Pollak.

Division7’s Aircastle—aka Will Beauchamp and Jamie Cussen—provides slick direction, while James Downing (from Suits and Fargo) and Connie Wang (from The Boys) give suitably cheeky performances.

The work tallies by playing on our fears in a playful way, fusing humor and contemporary tropes to make a serious point.

NerdWallet’s become adept at such stylings in recent years. Other examples include this futuristic musical sendup and an encounter with none other than the Count from Sesame Street.