Get Your Head in the Trade

Since 2020, the world of retail investing has exploded. So has the risk. Following the boom and bust cycles of meme stocks, there’s been a need to educate the public on smarter trading, encouraging due diligence (DD) and reducing risk. The tragic death of 20-year-old trader Alex Kearns brought heightened attention to the issue, and the penalties paid helped fund a campaign to set up young traders for success. FINRA, the largest independent regulator for all securities firms, tasked us to debut an ad campaign aimed at encouraging novice investors to think things through before they invest. 

We knew that lecturing has limited effectiveness, so we turned to comedy to help get traders to stop and think. 

Directed by Mike Diva of SNL fame, these ads encourage novice investors to take a moment to look inward, and do their due diligence before they invest.

The ads highlight the competing thoughts that jostle inside one investor’s mind (Meghan) for attention in her brain control room, as her different emotions (impulse, fear, optimism, rationality) debate the trade and ultimately take a breather before making a rash decision.

With over 60 million views, these ads reached younger traders and reminded them that not every move has to be risky, and the key to more successful trading often means simply taking a moment to consult their head people.