A DOLLAR A DAVE
Social Video Short Form - How-To, Explainer, & DIY
ALL THE DAVE VIDEOS
Seeking questionable financial advice? Welcome to FinTok!
Here’s the story. People are flocking to FinTok (financial advice on TikTok) because the videos are short, the price is $0 per month, and it sounds like they can get rich quick. Any downside? Um, kind of. Turns out FinTok is riddled with misinformation, published by people with questionable financial expertise, and focused on high-risk strategies. Technically speaking, it was pretty sus. That’s why some financial experts jumped into the mix. How did that go? Well, they were oftentimes boring, oddly as inaccurate as non-professionals, and unfamiliar with the platform. (Their content didn’t resonate.)
New kid on the block who’s been around 167 years
We saw a giant opportunity for a company that’s been a trusted financial resource since 1857, already super savvy on digestible content. To us, TikTok was a way to reach a Gen Z audience unimpressed by their parents’ tedious financial advice. We had a secret weapon to make money talk make sense and even be compelling—a trojan horse who brought key financial advice with an unconventional delivery. His name…is Dave.
WHAT WE DID TO DAVE
WHAT WE DID TO DAVE
Our approach centered on Dave Humphreys, Senior Investments Specialist at Northwestern Mutual, our TikTok frontman. Did we make Dave partake in silly, sometimes embarrassing scripts on a regular basis? As much as possible. Because we suspected it would have an impact on TikTok. We made vetted, time-tested financial strategies sound just as exciting as videos about meme stocks and crypto.
FINTOK NEVER SAW US COMING
“A Dollar a Dave” came to life on TikTok, staying true to the platform with its fast pace, quick cuts, unpredictable editing, and offbeat tone. We also incorporated a timely approach to match things going on in the world around us—baseball season, summer activities, the Olympics, politics, and much more. And we made all of it in-house—super low budget, no agencies.
Suddenly, unsexy financial concepts like ‘diversification’ and ‘mutual fund’ were easier to understand. And ideas like timing the market had a different perspective coming at you from an overstimulated football coach.
Whoa, it actually worked
Whoa, it actually worked
“A Dollar a Dave” has built an impressive following, with almost 3 million impressions overall. The series helped establish our audience on TikTok and made a legitimate impact on people’s lives. It helped propel Northwestern Mutual into being the most followed traditional financial services brand out of our competitive set, including competitors who spend a lot more.
CREDITS
Dave Humphries / Senior Investments Specialist, Auteur
Edie Zihan Yan / Editor & Visual Effects
Billy Simkiss / Script writer, Senior Art Director
Brook Lundy / Script Writer, Assistant Creative Director
Cristen Ingram / Senior Director, Creative
Vince Hamilton / Script Writer
Whitney Magnuson / Senior Director, Social Media, Influencers & Partnerships
Kristin Fitzgerald /Assistant Director, Social Media
Derek Keyeski / Director
Molly Kaye / Senior Director, Production
Jon Byman / Assistant Director, Head of Content Production
