Trade Republic brings in Hollywood star Brad Pitt for the new commercial. The actor doesn’t say a single word in it. Why?
Brad Pitt sits in a dark room. He doesn’t say a word. He just looks into the camera. Then a voice from off: “Free account with card. Two percent interest. Invest from one euro.” At the end only one sentence appears: “What does your bank offer?” That’s all that happens in Trade Republic’s new commercial. And that was probably quite expensive.
Why Brad Pitt of all people?
Trade Republic consciously focuses on attention through awareness in the campaign. “We weren’t interested in having our brand ambassador promote the benefits of our product, but rather in having someone who would generate attention through their prominence,” said Trade Republic in response to a start-up scene request. The Hollywood star as a status symbol and not as an explainer of daily money.
It was also important to have “someone who doesn’t give their face to a different brand every other week.” The filming location was in Los Angeles, the preparation took two days on site, the actual filming only took one day.
Playing with familiar faces is not entirely new for Trade Republic. In the past, the company has already relied on celebrities such as rapper Luciano, entertainer Bruce Darnell and actor Sky du Mont. With Brad Pitt, Trade Republic is now raising the bar to a new level.
Millions for silence?
What do you actually get if you just sit Brad Pitt down? Trade Republic does not provide a specific number.
Anett Sass, professor of media and moving image management at the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and co-founder of the Professionistas agency, says to Gründerszene: “The fact that Brad Pitt says nothing in the spot is probably the most expensive part of the campaign. Trade Republic is not so much buying an actor as instant international attention. But for Europe-wide campaigns with global stars, the industry is often talking about high single-digit millions.”
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For comparison: estimates of around $40 million have been circulating around George Clooney and Nespresso for years, explains the expert. And stars like Messi, LeBron James and Ronaldo have long been earning high double-digit millions per year from advertising and sponsorship. “Against this background, high single-digit million amounts for Brad Pitt do not seem unrealistic,” said Sass.
The logic behind nothingness
Marketing expert Simon Knittel, Managing Director of Jung von Matt Start, classifies this campaign as follows: “I think the spot is very successful – and above all: it works. It is extremely difficult to give a reliable figure for the possible fee. That depends heavily on the buyouts, i.e. on which countries, on which channels and how long the spot runs. With a star like Brad Pitt, you don’t pay for the few seconds in front of the camera, but for his global appeal and the attention that his name generates. Under Under normal circumstances I would say: seven figures.”
Knittel also sees the production as a conscious alternative to classic glossy campaigns: instead of relying on large sets or expensive productions, the spot radically reduces everything. The budget is not smaller because of the star testimonial, but the result is different, and that is exactly where the effect lies. The role of Brad Pitt himself is particularly crucial: he is not staged as a “normal man”, but is consciously placed in the spotlight as a superstar. “He doesn’t have to explain anything, don’t pretend anything, doesn’t even have to actually do anything. His presence is enough.”