NerdWallet Super Bowl ad stars a Kieran Culkin speaking beluga whale

NerdWallet has taken a big step on its brand journey as it releases its first Super Bowl ad debuting its mascot and spokesanimal—a yet unnamed beluga whale voiced by actor Kieran Culkin. The ad, called “Genius Beluga,” shows a man taking photos from a boat tour about the high intelligence of beluga whales, which is said to rival human geniuses. A whale retrieves the phone the man drops into the water and displays his genius by talking and endorsing NerdWallet’s credit card recommendation services. The 30-second spot created by Deutsch and directed by Tom Kuntz will air during the third quarter of the Feb. 9 game on Fox. IPG’s Mediahub handled the media buy. An extended 60-second version has the Culkin whale compare his bulbous head to his human counterpart before recommending the man seek out NerdWallet’s “nerds” who find and recommend credit cards. He then swims away with the human’s phone. NerdWallet’s new spokesanimal will appear in marketing efforts including an awareness-generating campaign across social media, podcasts, streaming platforms and offline media that will run through the first half of 2025, said Alison McCoy, VP of brand marketing at NerdWallet. The campaign will focus on services the brand didn’t include in its Super Bowl ad, such as insurance and personal loan recommendations. NerdWallet’s Big Game spot highlights credit cards because they are the most common product its consumers need, McCoy said. However, the brand is introducing its new mascot to bring needed awareness to other services in the future. “We’ve heard from folks that they may know us for only one thing … but we’ve been advertising for five years now,” McCoy said. “Our nerds have been at the center of our work but we’re bringing a fresh face to the conversation. We know our consumers rely on third-party endorsements, social media, influencers and Reddit communities for insights to make decisions. We thought bringing in a new credible expert resource in a genius beluga whale was a fun way to capture that attention.” The personal finance site chose the animal for its intelligence and charm, McCoy said. “Beluga whales are said to have the IQ of a human genius and bring a lovable charm and wit to the conversation that can sometimes feel dull and daunting,” she said. NerdWallet unveiled the whale in a teaser aired on Jan. 26 during the NFC Championship game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles. It has since taken over the brand’s social media accounts to post memes and appeared on a banner on NerdWallert’s website teasing the full ad’s release. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NerdWallet (@nerdwallet) NerdWallet also recruited influencer Tank Sinatra to host a genius beluga lookalike contest. Sinatra posted that the winner would be “the baldest, cutest, squishiest-headed person out there.” The winner will be invited to a Feb. 8 party in New Orleans hosted by Sports Illustrated. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Memes (@tank.sinatra) “Our hope is that by trying to create some momentum and excitement around this beluga whale, that people are more leaned in every time he has something to say,” McCoy said. “Ideally then folks follow us on social media to stay tuned into other insights he might share about the brand.” The whale’s official name may come soon after the Big Game, she added. “Let’s see how culture responds,” she said. “Maybe our fans on Super Bowl Sunday need to name it.” NerdWallet earns revenue through affiliate commissions on the products it recommends. It posted $191.3 million in third-quarter revenue, up from $152.8 million the year before, largely driven by growth in its insurance product vertical. Its growth was offset by credit card and loan revenue declines. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Click here

Watch NerdWallet’s first Super Bowl ad debuting its new mascot

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