TIAA-CREF Launches Next Phase of Brand Advertising Campaign

TIAA-CREF, the financial services group and leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields, announced today the launch of its new national advertising campaign, the “powerof.org.” The national multimedia campaign represents the next phase in the TIAA-CREF brand evolution building on the corporate tagline: “For the Greater Good.”

“A concern for the financial well-being of our participants has always been the cornerstone of TIAA-CREF’s way of doing business,” said TIAA-CREF’s executive vice president for Public Affairs and Marketing Steve Goldstein. “In our advertisements, we stress this commitment to our client’s financial security and how they inspire everything that we do.”

The new campaign reflects TIAA-CREF’s dedication to serving those who work for the welfare of others by helping them get to and through retirement. It also acknowledges the idea that people want a fully-equipped and trusted financial partner. TIAA-CREF has worked diligently to meet those needs by introducing new products and services including: expanded investment options, objective advice and a new technology that enables plan administrators to build a retirement plan that truly responds to employees’ needs.

“Powerof.org’ provides an outlet for us to talk about some of the unique characteristics we posses by being an organization with a proud nonprofit heritage,” Goldstein added. “We want to let people know that we are a different kind of financial company and while our competition continues to zig, mimicking each other we continue to zag as we’ve been doing for nearly 90 years.”

“By emphasizing that we are a dot org, we are highlighting a fundamental difference between TIAA-CREF and all other major players in financial services,” said senior vice president of marketing and advertising Jamie DePeau. “It speaks to the fact that unlike a dot com, TIAA-CREF is uniquely structured to put our participants’ interests first. In addition, we believe our long-term approach, noncommissioned advisors and staying power over time surpasses what is available from many other providers, none of whom share our nonprofit heritage or our distinctive mission.”

The campaign will include a mix of television, radio, print, and online advertisements. The advertising campaign was created by the Boston-based agency Modernista!. The “powerof.org” television ads were directed by Ralf Schmerberg, acclaimed artist and highly sought after film and commercial director. The song in the television advertising is “See a Little Light” written and performed by Bob Mould, an American musician who is principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for influential 1980s punk rock band Hüsker Dü. New York-based TargetCast TCM handled the ad buy.