Top NFL Draft Pick Fernando Mendoza Call Plays for U.S. Bank

He finds answers in the cloud, as a cute cumulus floats by

In July, Fernando Mendoza signed a four-year, $57.3 million rookie contract to play quarterback for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. So, in the first U.S. Bank commercial below, when he kicks back in a recliner and declares, “Money in, worries out,” he knows of what he speaks.

Comedian Caitlin Reilly co-stars in the visually intriguing spot from BarkleyOKRP and Stept Studios’ director Adam Patch. Gen Z’s the target, and the pitch positions U.S. Bank as a resource to help relieve financial anxiety.

So, let’s visit a “Cozy World” with soft blue walls, snuggly blankets and bunny slippers. Gotta love the phone-dispensing cloud that floats by. It’s a wonderfully random element that basically steals the show.

Yeah, you can find whatever you need in the cloud these days.

Next, Fernando gets even more relaxed, hanging with his new team … of U.S. Bank pros. Sorry, Raiders.

Here, two of the campaign’s creators take Muse behind the scenes:

So, Gen Z is the target. How is the pitch tailored to them specifically?

Michael Lacorazza, CMO, U.S. Bank: Our strategy is to show up in places where our audiences are already paying attention and deliver relevant messages that help them make informed choices. “Cozy Cash” was built around Gen Z’s financial tension of social and economic pressure to get in control of their finances and their inexperience with financial terms and strategies. Acknowledging that Gen Z faces real financial stress, we created this campaign to show that banking doesn’t have to be complicated.

Obviously, Fernando’s been all over the news this summer. His presence adds a spark.

Michael Lacorazza: We first enlisted Fernando to help shape U.S. Bank Financial Edge, a customized guidance offering built to help NFL players navigate important financial decisions throughout their careers and beyond. Fernando sits at the intersection of sports, finance and culture in a way that feels genuine.

His role with the bank has continued to expand as U.S. Bank brings forward new content and experiences that encourage people to make informed choices with their money. He’s navigating real financial decisions himself, and he brings his own experience to conversations about money [to the campaign]. That authenticity is what makes him the ideal partner for reaching Gen Z. They can sense when someone gets it, and Fernando does.

CG clouds? Puppets? Do tell.

Ben Estus, senior art director, BarkleyOKRP: We knew that AI could have rendered us some cloud types. But we always loved the idea of crafting it for real and shooting it practically. Our director Adam Patch and the production team built the letters and clouds by hand, which gave us the deliciously real texture and subtle human touch we were looking for. Then the folks at Preymaker worked their magic to animate the letters and build a motion graphics system using the practical elements, retaining those slightly imperfect movement qualities we captured with on-set mechanics.

Did that approach pose challenges for the crew?

Ben Estus: The clouds themselves were super delicate, being clouds and all. So to capture the moment when Fernando pulls the phone from the cloud, a member of the crew had to contort himself behind it, holding the phone and hiding there through every take.

Beyond the cloud, the look and feel of that blue room is notable.

Ben Estus: Building the whole “Cozy World” was a blast. The goal was to create a soft space for tough conversations, a place where people could be real about their finances. We eventually found this lovely fleece-like material and upholstered the entire set and furniture to match. After the shoot, the panels were donated to a local art studio to be recycled for materials.

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