JARGON-BUSTING EXPLAINER VIDEOS FOR FINTECH NUTMEG
Nutmeg, the UK’s largest digital wealth manager, believes investing should be a clear and straightforward experience. For more than a decade, the fintech brand has been empowering a nation of new wave investors. From Stocks & Shares ISAs to pensions, they build and manage diversified portfolios, and keep charges low and transparent. We’ve been their content production partner since 2021, helping them democratise investing for a wider audience. They came to us to plan, shoot and edit a video series demystifying financial terminology.
the challenge
The world of investing is fraught with off-putting financial jargon. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A growing pillar of the Nutmeg proposition is to educate its audience about the meaning behind these complex-sounding investing terms, so investors are better informed about how it all works.
Our brief was to make 6 original videos that explained investing in engaging, easy-to-understand ways. The timeline was three weeks to turnaround the videos – from pre-production to final output. The topics covered Asset Classes, ETFs, Returns, Risk, Volatility and Wrappers. Each video had to last 2-3 minutes and would appear in sequence on an investor’s journey through a Typeform learning module. They should feel cohesive as a series but self-contained with unique narratives. After each video, there was a survey testing how much the viewer remembered.
In short, we needed to script, storyboard, direct, shoot, edit, animate and grade 6 unique episodes, with approval from compliance. In just three weeks!
CREATIVE APPROACH
One effective way of breaking down complex concepts is to use everyday visual metaphors to explain them. Like using salt and pepper shakers to explain the offside rule.
Our creative approach revolved around these prop-driven metaphors, which were written into the script along with stage directions, plus animated graphics to help reinforce what the presenter was saying or illustrate something visually. That meant we had greater creative flexibility to play with in the edit. The narration also included short asides, which we wanted to use to break the fourth wall as an intentional stylistic principle. Instead of using actors, however, we had to use Nutmeg employees to present the videos. For variety, we opted for a different narrator per video. This put the onus on our in-house film director to draw out pitch perfect performances from our untrained speakers.
THE SOLUTION
Not put off by the very tight turnaround, we quickly got to work finding a studio with an infinity cove for a three-day shoot. Our creative team worked with Nutmeg to refine the 6 scripts and suggest style cues, including prop ideas (lasagne, a vintage TV, red velvet cake), stage directions and fun moments of interaction to bring a more light-hearted, playful tone to the videos.
We then developed an overall look and feel and made storyboards for each script, integrating wide shots with close-ups of the props and animated graphics to nod to the geometry of the Nutmeg brand. Key to the tone was also finding the right music. Light bossa meets lounge jazz was just the ticket.
On the shoot, we had two cameras and shot everything across two set-ups to capture a wide, mid and side angle. We reserved the side B cam for the funny quips that broke the fourth wall, directing the presenters to turn and become ‘aware’ of the secondary camera. In the edit, we used bits of stock video as well to add further meaning to some concepts, while whip pans, out-takes and sound design helped to subtly push the humour further.
The result is a charming set of educational videos that you actually want to watch.