Pepperstone

Big brand visuals, hard working content

Project overview

It might be hard to imagine what fighter jets, giant sculptures of David and Goliath or precariously stacked lamborghinis have to do with explaining the fundamentals of financial instruments, but allow us to explain. Pepperstone, a global force in Forex trading, wanted to create disruptive content that could simultaneously educate traders as well as deliver an exciting and unique brand message. UntilNow created an exciting idea, where we could explain concepts through the use of visual metaphors and dreamlike environments instead of dry charts and screen recordings. We decided on Unreal Engine, a video game design tool that would allow us to create these ambitious scenes with creative flexibility and cinematic fidelity. We delivered 19 stunning videos, with voiceover narration, sound design and educational 2D graphics. Topics ranged from ‘How to trade crypto’ to ‘How liquidity affects your trading’ and they have since been translated into 7 languages.

UntilNow nailed the brief. It was disruptive, innovative and exceptionally polished.

Tony Gruebner

Chief Marketing Officer

Pepperstone

Results

unique videos

produced in UE

languages

01.

The challenge

Pepperstone is one of the world’s largest forex brokers, processing an average of US$9.2 billion in trades daily. When they came to UntilNow, the brief was bold - create evergreen content that educates traders whilst differentiating the brand through disruptive creative. We knew our core audience enjoys video games and reads reddit, so we weren’t about to produce video that looks like the nightly finance cross from mainstream news. It needed to look and feel entirely different and that required doing something completely new.

02.

Rethinking what’s possible

Taking our cue from Pepperstone’s recent brand campaign Headspace, we dreamt up a world where complex topics and concepts could be explored without boundaries. Instead of tired diagrams and talking, we’d use metaphors in abstract settings to create interest and intrigue. A slightly unsettling space that was at once tempting, sophisticated and yet playful. The concept was called Clear Space, a build on Headspace. We connected with Pepperstone’s Head of Research and international compliance teams to review and edit 19 topics, crafting them into voice over scripts.

To build such a world we linked up with Studio Stopniak and the space was created through Unreal Engine, a video game engine that is now used in Hollywood productions such as Westworld and The Mandalorian. Each episode was storyboarded and objects or props were designed in 3D to support the narrative. Each video was then treated with bold, 2D typography and chart graphics to explain concepts and scenarios. Metaphors such as David and Goliath could now explain the disproportionate power of leverage. Fighter jets and oil platforms set the stage for a lesson on energy markets. Supercars piled up and tokens fell from the sky to set the tone for cryptocurrencies. Everything was crafted to feel premium and refined, with metallic and stone textures throughout. Real time lighting created genuine shadows and reflections, creating a surreal feeling throughout.

03.

Spreading knowledge

19 Clear Space episodes were created and flighted across Pepperstone’s YouTube channel, website, international distribution networks and more. The content has been translated into seven languages and provides the brand with an exciting point of difference against the competition and explainer content in general.