State Street

Challenge

The SPDR^® S&P 500^® ETF Trust from State Street Investment Management, better known by its U.S. ticker, ‘SPY,’ is the world’s largest exchange-traded fund.

Launched in 1993, it tracks the S&P 500^® Index by holding the same stocks in the same weightings, giving investors access to many of America’s most recognised companies in a single investment.

Our shared objective was to raise awareness of SPY and educate potential investors in Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Each market had distinct challenges: in Japan and Australia, investors tended to favour familiar brands and local asset managers, whilst in Singapore, the priority was to first explain the benefits of ETFs themselves before promoting SPY specifically. 

The campaign strategy, messaging and creative therefore needed to be clear, culturally relevant, and tailored to each region’s investor mindset.

Solution

Building on the all-important brief and leveraging the newly launched State Street Investment Management rebrand, we developed benefit-led concepts that moved beyond purely product features. We took an aspirational, human-centred approach, focusing on the future possibilities and potential of investing in SPY.

Anchored by the established State Street Investment Management’s tagline ‘Getting there starts here,’ our creative conveyed the accessibility of the fund and its breadth of exposure: touching nearly every corner of the U.S. economy and offering a convenient gateway to the world’s largest market and most recognisable brands, all within a single ETF.

Result

The campaign successfully brought State Street Investment Management's SPY to life through bold creative and high-impact media placements, from digital displays to out-of-home formats including trams, ferries, and bus shelters. 

This omnipresent visibility positioned SPY as both accessible and practical, offering investors a simple way to gain broad stock market exposure. The messaging connected with audiences in their everyday environments, reinforcing SPY as a relevant, recognisable, and easy-to-access investment option.