MassMutual: Don't Take Financial Advice From Pets and Toys

Money pros could help reduce your stress

Are you planning your finances with a little help from stuffed toys, cats and pictures at an exhibition?

Makes sense to me—cats are cute, toys are fun. But the Serious Sams at MassMutual believe you should seek out their professionals for expert guidance instead.

Those pets were adding to her stress, actually. Still, they seem well-versed in the markets.

The work seeks to “highlight a universal truth: financial planning is stressful and confusing, which can lead a lot of people to avoid the topic altogether,” says Juliana Cobb, creative head at 72andSunny New York, which developed the campaign. “But avoidance doesn’t cause that worry to disappear. Instead, it lingers in the brain, serving as a distraction from the present moment.”

“Rather than focus on that worry, we wanted to highlight the equally intense feeling of relief that comes with having one of MassMutual’s financial professionals on your side to help get things sorted.”

“I want to get my finances in order. They’re a bit … abstract.” Snooty art-gallery humor. Heh.

A fun approach to be sure. Though that lamp’s the stuff of nightmares.

Themed, “The Feeling Is MassMutual,” work breaks this week across TV and digital.