How Experian Offers Its Users a Financial Happily Ever After
January tends to be the month where people try (and occasionally fail) to get their life in order, including their finances. Although this can feel like an intimidating task, Experian has proved with its latest campaign ‘Better Your Story’ by BBH London that it is possible to take control of your economic destiny.
A modern reimagining of The Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, the TV spot sees a woman struggling to raise her growing family in a trainer-home that is no longer fit for purpose, and how by improving her credit score using Experian she is able to upgrade to a considerably more fancy cowboy boot.
Creative directors Phil Holbrook and Stu Royall from BBH spoke to LBB's Cathy Meyer-Funnell about their vision for the campaign and how they brought it to life.
LBB> Where did the idea to incorporate fairytales into the world of credit scores come from?
BBH> We all see ourselves as the protagonist of our own story. But when it comes to our financial situation, most people don’t feel like they’re in control. Credit scores, in particular, are viewed with a mixture of anxiety and suspicion by the general public. Our brief was to demonstrate to our audience that they have more agency over their future than they might think, and with a little help from Experian they can rewrite their financial destiny. The brand platform is broader than just fairytales, but they are a useful, universal device when it comes to communicating themes of progress and provide an interesting contrast to the reality of everyday life. Also, many fairytales have famously grim (or even Grimm) endings and this gave us the opportunity to point towards a different outcome.
LBB> Why did you pick the woman in the shoe story specifically for the TV spot?
BBH> A good Experian credit score has many benefits for UK consumers, but far and away the most resonant is getting a good mortgage rate. And The Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is a great metaphor for the current UK housing market. It’s cramped, uncomfortable and a bit frayed around the edges. And by setting it in the modern day, we were able to make it feel both relatable and universal.
LBB> What were the challenges of creating the shoe house, how did you make it work with the actors?
BBH> Despite the fairytale conceit, it was very important to us that the homes felt believable. It had to be relatable for everyday British families. And because authenticity was so central, director Tom Noakes was clear from the outset that we had to capture as much of the action as possible in camera. Which meant building the interior of not one but two giant shoes in a studio in Bulgaria.
For the high-top trainer, we started with a simple floor plan, working out how to fit a kitchen, living space, bathroom and beds into such a cramped space. No detail was cheated. We took inspiration from houseboat design, where every space is utilised and every piece of furniture is multi-purpose. Working closely with Tom and production designer, Mikey Hollywood, the floorplans evolved into miniature models and eventually life-size interiors, complete with eyelet windows, canvas walls and shoelace-adorned ceilings. We kept the space intentionally constrained to reflect the cramped reality of modern life for a growing British family. The cast had to crouch just to stand up.
For the exterior scenes, we shot plates of the street and then composited the shoe into them using VFX through post production studio, STRAY. Getting the size of the stitching and the weave of the fabric just right was a painstaking but ultimately rewarding process.
Getting an authentic performance from the talent was just as important, so we intentionally cast for multiple family members. The two youngest children were brother and sister. And the eldest child was the daughter of our dad. That familiarity helped breed intimacy on set and a more authentic performance, despite the surreal environment.
LBB> How did working with Tom Caruana and Meduulla on the music and sound come about, how collaborative was the process?
BBH>When your TV script is based on an old fairytale, choosing the right narrator is obviously a key factor. We toyed around with more traditional voiceovers but ultimately decided to go with something different. Meduulla is a Manchester-based rapper and a true storyteller. She brought a lyrical sensibility to her role and injected the voiceover with wit, personality and relatability. It was a very collaborative process.
Musically, we wanted a soundtrack that could bridge the worlds of both fairytale and modern day. Tom understood the brief immediately, weaving together different elements and different instruments into a cohesive three-part structure. The peculiar set up, a “training montage” sequence in the middle, and a happily-ever-after denouement.
LBB> The promise of financial responsibility is central to Experian’s message. What insights took that further into the specific strategy for this campaign?
BBH> We understand that a large part of being able to borrow money is affordability-based, but there are also various ways you can present yourself to lenders in a more positive light. You don’t have to be earning loads of money. You can demonstrate a record of making payments on time, or ensure you have strong ‘findability’ by being signed up to the electoral role for example, or by quickly and easily restructuring your debt into one consolidated account at a more favourable interest rate - making it faster to get back into the green. Experian can help you do all of these things and guide people to better financial decisions.
LBB> What impact do you hope this will have on those who feel their current financial situation is not so positive?
BBH> This campaign is launching at a time when many people will be making resolutions about their finances. I hope the message they take out of it is that they have more control over their destiny than they might think. And that their future is not yet written.
