Monarch Money

A Performance-First TV & CTV Campaign

Overview

Monarch Money partnered with Filmkraft to launch its first national TV campaign, with a clear goal: build a performance-driven creative system that could generate insights and support long-term scale.

Rather than anchoring the launch around a single hero spot, the campaign was designed to test multiple formats, tones, and narratives across linear TV and CTV.

The Challenge

Monarch was entering television as a modern subscription product in a legacy fintech category.

The creative needed to:

  • Introduce the product clearly to first-time TV viewers
  • Speak to emotionally distinct audience segments
  • Balance empathy, clarity, and conversion
  • Perform under real media spend across TV and CTV


This was not a one-off awareness play. It was a testing and learning initiative.

Person holding a smartphone displaying a financial app with the text 'What about your money?' in white.
Man seated at a wooden table working on a laptop displaying dashboards with graphs and analytics in a kitchen setting, with overlay text 'One Clear View'.

Strategic Approach

Filmkraft and Monarch designed a modular TV creative system built around three principles:

1.  Multiple concepts over a single message

       Different audiences require different emotional entry points.


2. Emotion first, product always

      Money is personal. Creative needed calm confidence, not pressure.

3. Built for performance conditions

      All concepts were designed 15s-first, with modular :30 expansions.

The Creative System

The campaign delivered eight distinct spots, spanning multiple creative formats.

UI-Driven & Animated
• Animated Explainer introducing Monarch’s all-in-one dashboard and Sankey Money Map
• Relatable problem–solution

These executions showcased Filmkraft’s specialization in UI-driven TV advertising.

Testimonial-Led
• Former Mint Users, speaking directly to a high-intent audience
• Couple Collaboration, focused on shared visibility without friction
• “Bad at Money”, leading with empathy and reassurance

Each testimonial prioritized authenticity and trust over sales language.

Brandformance & Narrative

  • Couples Brandformance, blending live action with subtle UI overlays

  • Financial Wellness / New Year, reframing money as part of a broader wellness mindset
  • “You’re Not Bad at Money”, a cinematic, metaphor-driven spot reinforcing clarity and control

These spots bridged brand storytelling and performance utility.

Tablet screen displaying a financial dashboard with cash flow visual from October 1 to October 31, 2024, showing income sources, expenses by category, and savings percentage.
Laptop screen displaying Monarch investment portfolio dashboard with graphs and transaction details.

Execution

All eight spots were delivered in :15 and :30, designed for linear TV, CTV, and performance placements. Production was planned modularly to support efficient adaptation and future optimization.

What This Enabled

Monarch launched TV with:

  • A flexible creative library spanning multiple audience entry points

  • Assets designed to perform across TV and CTV

  • Clear learnings to inform future scale


Rather than betting on one idea, Monarch entered television with options.

Key Takeaway

Modern TV campaigns perform best when creative is designed as a system — not a single spot.