In 2015, the Freakonomics podcast dedicated an episode titled “How to Make a Smart TV Ad” to Prudential’s long-running TV campaign.
Hosted by Harvard psychology Professor Dan Gilbert, each ad in the campaign features a real-life experiment designed to teach people about the human behaviors that get in the way when planning for the future.
“I never thought I’d make an episode of Freakonomics radio extolling the virtues of a series of TV ads for a financial services firm. But. The ads are, to me at least, tiny behavioralist masterpieces.”
— Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics Radio
The Dominoes Experiment
To show people the power of compound interest, we built a 30-foot-tall, fully functioning domino display—and we set a Guinness World Record in the process.
Making of The Dominoes Experiment
The Balloons Experiment
We helped people understand the importance of saving for the future on a more emotional level by asking them to “give up” some of the things they love to do today.
Experiments: Balloons & Dominoes
Client: Prudential
Agency: Droga5
Prod. Co.: Reset
Director: Andrew Russell
Role: Art Direction, Experience Design