Prudential's CMO Richard Parkinson shares insights on breaking advertising norms with the claymation campaign "Keep Asking" for PGIM, and why taste will triumph over generic AI in marketing.
The 'Keep Asking' Campaign: A Bold Pivot
Prudential's recent campaign for its asset management arm, PGIM, broke conventional advertising norms. Called "Keep Asking," it features a claymation world where people ask questions about investments. The idea came from research showing PGIM's customers are problem solvers. The universal hand raise became the campaign's symbol.
Internally, there was nervousness. "Everybody's a bit, 'Gosh, this is different. Can we be that different?' And yes, of course we can be different," Parkinson said. The campaign was designed to stand out in a marketplace full of windmills and skyscrapers, with only four seconds to make an impact.
Training for Taste in the Age of AI
Parkinson expressed concern about training young marketers: "AI gets us to about 70-80% of the work... We need to train our younger people on critical thinking, on judgment, on decision-making." He emphasized that taste will win out over generic AI marketing, and companies must invest in developing that.
The Exhilarating and Exhausting Role of a CMO
"The toughest part of being a CMO right now is the pace of change," Parkinson said. Marketing must navigate political, social, and economic shifts, often leading the charge. It's exhilarating but exhausting.
Prudential Financial's new campaign for its asset management arm was a pivot from the original idea.
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