category finalist
sspera@buntingroup.com
“It’s Gotta Be A CFP®” is a national public awareness campaign created by BUNTIN for the CFP Board to position CFP® certification as the gold standard in financial planning. Built around the question, “Are you a CFP® professional?”, the campaign uses humor and unexpected, everyday scenarios to challenge consumers to reconsider who they trust with their finances. By breaking from the category’s traditionally serious tone, the work stands out and invites audiences into a more engaging, memorable conversation about financial expertise and trust.
The primary objective was to increase awareness, credibility, and preference for CFP® certification while addressing widespread consumer skepticism toward financial advisors. Research revealed that people increasingly view financial planning as deeply personal—seeking not only technical expertise but also emotional connection, trust, and confidence. The challenge was to shift perceptions of financial advisors from transactional service providers to trusted partners, while making CFP® certification more recognizable and meaningful in that decision-making process.
To meet this challenge, we reframed CFP® certification as synonymous with confidence—delivering peace of mind in moments that matter most. This positioning came to life through a humorous, relatable creative platform that resonated across an omni-channel ecosystem, including TV, CTV/OTT, digital, audio, SEM, and social. The campaign’s approachable tone helped humanize financial planning while reinforcing the authority and value of CFP® professionals.
The results exceeded all benchmarks: awareness reached a record-high 91%, and preference climbed to 89%—the highest in the organization’s history. Unaided awareness increased by 10% year-over-year, while website traffic surged 129%, totaling more than 2.4 million visits. The campaign delivered over 1.35 billion impressions and successfully broke into broader cultural conversation, earning a mention in a New York Times op-ed. It also coincided with a major milestone for the CFP Board: surpassing 100,000 certified professionals.
This campaign reflects a broader cultural shift toward financial wellness as both a practical and emotional priority. Today’s consumers want to feel understood and supported, not just advised. By using humor to disrupt category norms, the campaign connects with a modern audience seeking both expertise and relatability—ultimately reinforcing CFP® certification as a trusted, recognizable standard in financial planning.
