Watching the US Grand Prix last Sunday, it wasn’t just Max’s dominating win that held my attention. I have a bet on Oscar winning the Drivers’ Championship, you know! Thankfully, an ad break briefly distracted me from the prospect of losing £50.

First up, interactive investor. A single penny drops from the sky, followed by hundreds more. Across Britain, people glance up in supermarkets, coffee shops, and their living rooms as coins clatter around them, all repeating one word: “Obviously”. Young and old, they’re in on the same secret. That investing, apparently, is the obvious choice.

The imagery is clever. Pennies are small, familiar, and safe, with only a tiny disclaimer hinting that there might be any risk involved. The repetition of “obviously” makes investing feel universal, even inevitable. If everyone else has realised this, then what are you, the viewer, waiting for?

Then comes eToro. Its world is aspirational and adrenaline-filled. People mid-workout on a mountaintop, scuba diving on an exotic holiday, even in the middle of a war zone, are all investing. The message isn’t subtle: investing is everywhere. It leans into herd mentality, inviting viewers to believe that they, too, should be investing, no matter where they are or what they’re doing.

Together, the two ads say something powerful about the cultural moment we find ourselves in. Investing is being sold as a social norm, not a financial decision. It’s now mainstream enough to be marketed as a lifestyle choice.

Has it always been this way? And what does it mean for financial advisers and planners who don’t have £5 million to drop on a prime-time TV advert?

The landscape has changed, so it’s time to make your move

When I started watching F1 way back when, there was very little (if any) mention of cryptocurrency, investing, or the stock market.

A high-street bank encouraging you to cash in a cheque, or a black horse galloping over a beach, was probably your lot.

However, over the past few years, finance brands have become some of the biggest spenders in advertising. In the UK alone, ad spend across banking, finance, and insurance grew faster than almost any other sector in 2024.

Earlier this year, the advertising agency WPP was even asked to work up ideas for a multi-million-pound government-endorsed advertising campaign to urge more Brits to invest in the stock market.

But this drive isn’t about financial education or sharing the value of advice – it’s about encouraging financial risk-taking to spur economic growth. The story reaching millions of viewers is that investing is easy, obvious, and for everyone. That’s what worries me.

But, for advisers and planners, it presents an opportunity.

There are three key things we can learn from these big-budget campaigns. And, more importantly, here’s how to take inspiration from them in a way that benefits both your business and your clients.

1. Meet prospects and clients where they are

Potential clients are more exposed to investing messages than ever.

Some may come to you with deeply held misconceptions about investing, and others might push for a higher risk tolerance than is necessary, fearing they’ve missed the boat.

In your initial meetings, ask what drew them to investing and what they’ve seen or heard that shaped their view. This gives you a fantastic insight into their lived experience with money, and useful ideas for your marketing.

• Share social posts that debunk common investing myths and set realistic expectations.
• Use your blogs and newsletter to explain the importance of goals, long-term planning, and risk tolerance.
• Avoid jargon and speak the plain, confident language potential clients are hearing elsewhere.

2. Stories, not statistics

The interactive investor and eToro ads have incredible production value, yes, but the real secret sauce is in the stories they tell. They work because they focus on how investing makes people feel – confident, empowered, and in control – not how it works.

You can do the same (albeit on a smaller scale) by focusing on emotion and authenticity.

• Collect video testimonials – nothing is more powerful than a client explaining how you’ve changed their life in their own words.
• The language used across your website and wider marketing should speak directly to your ideal clients’ goals and pain points.
• Consistent, regular check-ins build far more trust than one big, flashy campaign.

3. Play to your strengths

As a marketer, I sometimes feel the pressure of matching the incredible campaigns launched by far bigger brands. As I have to remind myself: be inspired, not distracted.

These big-budget ads are doing something entirely different to you. They sell investing as fast, easy, and universal. You sell something far more valuable – a long-term plan built around a client’s life, not just their portfolio.

If the ads from interactive investor and eToro are a sprint, your marketing is a marathon.

You have an opportunity to show the powerful alternative to DIY investing: advice/planning that’s personal, thoughtful, and genuinely focused on your clients.

• Collect social proof in the form of client survey results and online reviews to demonstrate how your expertise delivers real results.
• Add personal touches by sending handwritten thank-you cards following a referral, a thoughtful festive mailer, or an “I saw this and thought of you” message.
• Highlight what makes your firm different – your process, people, and values – and be proud of it.

Beyond the ad break

It’s easy to end up in a vacuum, reading the same news, scrolling the same social media feed, watching the same shows. It’s useful to be reminded that what you see isn’t necessarily what your potential clients are seeing – not everyone lives and breathes financial services like we all do!

Sunday’s Grand Prix reminded me that investing has gone mainstream – it’s being sold like a lifestyle, a club you want to be a member of, and something everyone should be doing right this second. But as an experienced adviser/planner, you know better. Chasing trends and timing markets won’t deliver the same outcomes as a personalised, holistic, and long-term financial plan.

And while the likes of interactive investor and eToro can tell a great story, you’re the one helping your clients live one.

To find out how our 54-strong team can help your marketing showcase the real value of what you do, email abi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 896 5300 and we’ll book in a call.