Wells Fargo CMO Jamie Moldafsky Makes The Case For Diversity As Business Driver In New Campaign

Wells Fargo next week unveils a new brand campaign, the first from BBDO, the agency it selected last May. TV spots pull at heartstrings, such as one featuring a real-life same-sex couple—another first for the bank—who diligently work on learning sign language before meeting their hearing-impaired adopted daughter. In another spot, a long-haul truck driver greets his aspiring-geologist daughter after a job on the road, a gift of rocks from his travels in hand.

Spots will run nationally and target consumers as well as small businesses in three languages—Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish.

The effort is “an outgrowth of our diversity/inclusion approach,” CMO Jamie Moldafsky said, adding that “internally we take diversity and inclusion to heart.” Indeed, among other endeavors, the company has supported the LGBT community since 2009, when it created the Accredited Domestic Partners Advisors program.

The core insight brought forward in the campaign is that people work hard for what they want and need. “We felt like these themes are very universal themes, and we felt it was important to feature all important demographics that are represented in our customers and team-member base,” Moldafsky said.

It’s “a different way for us—creating an emotional connection,” she added.

Wells Fargo is changing up its advertising game in an effort to continuously elevate trust in the bank and brand. “We’re continuing to make sure people know that we’re here to help,” Moldafsky said.

In all, nine spots will help Wells Fargo tell its brand story “in a way that drives business outcomes,” she said, along with radio, outdoor, digital and a social-media campaign featuring hashtag #WhyIWork, inviting people to tell their own stories of why they work so hard.

Watch two of the new spots here: