Breaking the mould of investment marketing.
At a glance
We created a bold brand expression for VanEck’s Australian ETF range. Instead of lifestyle clichés and stock photography, we used a visual metaphor for each ETF, like a pawn casting a king’s shadow for small companies, with a tone of voice that makes complex investing simple.
- Client:
- VanEck
- Project:
- Brand expression and visual direction
- Industry:
- Financial services
Branding, Creative Agency, Art Direction & Design, Copywriting
The brief
Help Australian investors discover VanEck’s range of ETFs with a visual identity and tone of voice that makes the complex simple and brings a fresh personality to the category.
The challenge: standing out in a conservative category
VanEck was a growing investment firm with a compelling suite of ETFs for Australian investors. But in a crowded category dominated by legacy financial giants, standing out wasn’t easy.
Investment advertising is often dry, conservative and indistinguishable, full of lifestyle clichés and generic stock photography. VanEck needed a bold brand expression that could break through.
The strategy: one metaphor for every ETF
We reimagined VanEck’s brand expression from the ground up, starting with strategy, tone and visual concepts. Rather than leaning on investment tropes, we used metaphor and visual storytelling to bring each ETF to life in unexpected ways.
A playful, intelligent tone of voice helped demystify financial jargon, while every creative decision stayed grounded in the credibility expected of a financial brand.
The work: a print series for the ETF range
Each ad pairs one striking image with one idea: a pawn casting a king’s shadow for small companies (ASX: MVS), a ring of keys for the breadth of the range, a lollipop for the “sweet spot” of mid-caps (ASX: MVE), a stamped passport for emerging markets (ASX: EMKT), a gold nugget for gold miners (ASX: GDX) and emerging butterflies for value investing (ASX: VLUE).
The result: a brand that stands apart
The series gave VanEck a distinctive look across its ETF range that stands apart from the sameness of the category, while staying grounded in the credibility and trust expected of a financial brand.
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