What it had to solve
Make saving as easy as spending and drive awareness and fame for Yolt with a platform rooted in behavioural science.
The idea
Blame impulsive spending on the evolutionary 'lizard brain', which loves to spend and hates to save, and show the app helping the human brain take back control.
How it works
Uncommon's integrated campaign used neon anatomical imagery of the brain, spine, lungs and kidneys, and copy such as 'Lizard brain's like make it rain. Human brain's like make it stop.' Private Island animated the film, directed by Chris Boyle, with an original Pablo Nouvelle track.
What it did
No results were reported at launch. The work was to run in the UK for months across TV, online, social and radio, with OOH creative, planned with Craft Media.
Background
Yolt, a financial app that uses neuroscience to outsmart brain biology, launched its first work from Uncommon Creative Studio after the agency won the business. The campaign focuses on the 'lizard brain', an evolutionary throwback blamed for destructive, excessive and compulsive spending, such as lavish takeaways on a Tuesday or a trainer drop for no real reason.
Under the platform 'Unthink Money' the integrated campaign pairs neon anatomical imagery with playful behavioural science, including copy such as 'Dopamine compels us to buy things for no reason other than the fact that it happens to be, like, Tuesday or whatever.' The film was animated by Private Island, directed by Chris Boyle, with a track specially composed by Pablo Nouvelle through Theodore.
Yolt's brand and marketing director Rachel Louie Butterworth said the lizard brain gave the app a distinct platform for awareness and fame. The campaign was set to run in the UK on TV, online, social and radio, with OOH creative designed too.
Why it lands
A cartoon villain externalises a habit, so no one feels judged for overspending.
Behavioural science gave a finance app a credible, ownable explanation for why people spend.
A bold neon world distinguished Yolt from the usual calm finance-app look.
What you can take
Giving a bad habit a cartoon culprit lets people laugh at themselves, and makes the product's fix feel like taking control.
Since then
LBB's February 2021 launch report is the only source and records no results.
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