Changing financial futures, one family at a time.
It’s often said in advertising: “We’re not saving lives.” So it was an incredible privilege to actually do just that with Elaine Welteroth and birthFUND, a non-profit working to improve the maternal mortality crisis.
We expanded SoFi’s Generational Wealth Fund to provide a $500,000 donation, funding holistic and lifesaving maternal care plus $10,000 savings accounts for newborns in the first cohort. We also created an emotional short film dedicated to changing the numbers. Because pregnancy and birth shouldn’t be this traumatic, this tragic, this expensive — no matter who you are.
The challenge
Garner earned media and buzz in early summer, a traditionally slow time for SoFi.
My role
Helped evaluate the partnership opportunity and determined how to use our contribution to maximize financial impact for families
Led the creative development and completion of the film and associated assets to raise awareness of the maternal mortality crisis, while keeping the messaging in-category
Collaborated directly with celebrity founder Elaine Welteroth, director Stella Asia Consonni, and cinematographer Cristina Dunlap (who shot the Oscar-winning film American Fiction) to perfect the tone, casting, and overall storytelling
The results
The creative was developed in four working days, and was the deciding factor in deciding to move forward with the partnership and the $500,000 contribution
Outperformed on several metrics including 500% of benchmark impressions on Instagram, 350% total organic social impressions, and 45% below benchmark CPM on paid social
Extended impact with sponsorship of birthFUND’s first star-studded event, plus the release of the SoFi Family Financial Guide, which was distributed to all birthFUND families and also made widely available as a resource to set the next generation up for financial stability and success
In the spaces between drop-offs, pick-ups, late night wake-ups, and pump sessions and goodnight FaceTimes from set… this little film was birthed. As a mother who is passionate about equity in all aspects, it was an absolute honor to work on this project with other women, other parents, and other artists — who all cared as deeply about the work as the cause behind it.
creative direction
Created in house at SoFi, with production by Derby Studio.
Director: Stella Asia Consonni / Cinematographer: Cristina Dunlap / 1st AD: Lane Stroud / Producers: Giulia Di Stravola & Katie Cunningham
Lead SoFi team:
ECD: Jonathan Woytek / GCD: Jackie Linayao / Sr. Producer: Mikayla McVey / Sr. Art Director: Heather Edwards / Sr. Copywriter: Kristina Altepeter / Editor: Kevork Demirjian / Copy Editor: Mark Sweeney