NerdWallet’s mini-musical, set in 2074, offers comic financial warnings from future you

You’ve got the next 50 years to make the right financial choices. But will you? Deutsch LA’s new campaign for NerdWallet features an amusing short musical in which millennials and Gen Z are presented with “future you”—the you of 2074—who outline their myriad financial regrets in song. They’re particularly pissed off at you for not making the right choices early in life, when you had the chance. And now they’re stuck working into their old age, and haven’t enjoyed their golden years at all. The musical was directed by Jim Jenkins. Bitterness is a tricky tone to pull off in advertising, but this work threads the needle nicely and is based on a real insight—with 86% of Americans in a recent Harris poll saying there is some financial action they wish they would’ve taken sooner in life. There are also nice details throughout—the futuristic video screens, the guy’s random little dance at 1:07—that keep things from feeling too bleak. It’s also nice to see the older ensemble cast in action, including Susan Berger of “Jury Duty” and Patricia Belcher of “Community,” even if the grumpiness sometimes veers into old-person caricature territory. The spot broke on Christmas Day during NFL and NBA games and will continue to run across broadcast, OTT digital and social channels. It’s supported by a selection of shorter ads.

NerdWallet’s mini-musical, set in 2074, offers comic financial warnings from future you

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