FactSet, the Norwalk, Conn.-based financial intelligence company, has unveiled “Fluent in Finance,” a new brand campaign that takes direct aim at generic, off-the-shelf AI tools and the growing noise around “AI-powered” everything.
Created by Chicago-founded VSA Partners, the campaign includes four humorous video spots and a sweeping out-of-home takeover in New York’s financial district. Together, they challenge enterprise leaders to rethink what AI should deliver in a highly specialized, highly regulated industry such as finance.
The Problem: AI That Doesn’t Speak Finance
As investment firms and financial institutions race to adopt AI, many are discovering a frustrating gap between promise and performance. General-purpose AI tools often struggle with industry-specific terminology and context, a flaw the campaign cleverly dramatizes.
In the video spots, an AI assistant hilariously misinterprets common financial terms such as “hedge,” “gains,” “attractive spread,” “alpha,” “exposure,” and even broader business phrases like “big fish.” The humor underscores a serious point: when language is misunderstood, decisions suffer. Watch all 12 spots below:
The out-of-home component, which launched in January, extends that idea into the real world. The campaign takes over the Wall Street subway station with AI-generated visuals that intentionally misread financial language, exposing the limitations of generic models when confronted with domain-specific nuance. It’s a pointed message aimed squarely at decision-makers who have already encountered those shortcomings firsthand.
“In an era where AI promises are everywhere, financial professionals need a partner that truly understands their world,” said Jenifer Brooks, Chief Marketing Officer at FactSet. “Our AI isn’t just powerful, it’s fluent in the language of finance. It understands the nuances, context, and workflows that drive decision-making in our industry.”
Purpose-Built AI for Finance
FactSet’s argument is simple: finance requires fluency.
Unlike broad AI platforms trained on generalized datasets, FactSet’s solutions are built on more than 47 years of financial data expertise and designed around institutional investment workflows. The company emphasizes transparency, traceability, and reliability, core requirements in an industry where precision matters.
The campaign’s closing line, “Get a partner that’s fluent in finance,” reinforces that positioning: not another AI vendor, but a strategic partner.
A Continued Creative Partnership
“Fluent in Finance” builds on FactSet’s award-winning 2023 “Not Just the Facts” initiative, also developed by VSA Partners. The agency has worked with the brand since 2022, helping evolve its voice in a crowded B2B landscape.
“FactSet is bold, innovative and clear-eyed about who they are and what they believe,” said Kim Mickenberg, Partner, Campaign Design at VSA Partners. “By using a familiar reference — an AI assistant — to show the limits of generic AI solutions, we’re able to tap into the zeitgeist and make a clear point: Technology alone can only do so much. Ultimately, it’s the human expertise behind it that makes all the difference.”
The spots were directed by Matt and Jason Docter of Thinking Machine, the duo behind the previous campaign. Their comedic sensibility and cinematic polish bring a rare warmth to B2B advertising.
“Collaborating with the creatives at VSA, the FactSet client and an incredibly talented cast has been a continually evolving, rewarding process,” said Jason Docter. Matt Docter added that the recurring team has begun to feel like “some kind of annual improv reunion.”
With “Fluent in Finance,” FactSet is staking a claim at a pivotal moment in AI adoption, reminding the market that in finance, fluency isn’t optional.
CREDITS:
BRAND: FactSet
AGENCY: VSA Partners
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Thinking Machine
Directors: Matt Docter, Jason Docter
ALSO READ:
Build-A-Bear proves love is just a squeeze away
