In 2013 Hartford Mutual Funds took a big step away from its parent company, The Hartford. Seeking to differentiate itself from the historic insurance side of the business, they created their own identity and unique brand positioning.

 

Looking to build on the new brand positioning (and riding the strong global financial markets) Hartford Funds came to SapientNitro with a simple proposition, “Make us known for our global expertise and products.”

 

They already had the fundamentals in place with a strong and diverse international and global product offering but they weren’t top of mind among financial advisors for those types of investments.

 

What they needed was a simple, clear message that put a stake in the ground for their position in the global fund category

 

In an industry where fund performance can be all that matters we needed to remind financial advisors that smart investing is about the people behind the portfolio – their experience, insights, and expertise.

 

While many financial services companies feature people in their ads (often stock imagery), we chose to turn that notion on its head. And our arresting visuals are more than just pretty faces, the currency featured in each ad represents the top holding of that respective fund.

 

When it comes to media, Hartford Funds is outspent by all their major competitors. This campaign needed to cut through the “sea of sameness” that exists in the marketplace and generate a disproportionate level of awareness for the spend.