As the popular myth of ‘shrinking attention spans’ is further debunked, [most recently by James Hurman’s post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jameshurman_no-attention-spans-are-not-declining-ive-activity-7354292475722645504-tR8Y/), I’d argue that the perceived dwindling attention to advertising has another explanation.

Rather than attention spans getting shorter, I think that our media consumption behaviours have just caught up with our reaction times.

Humans have always been quick to react. From first impressions to split-second judgements.
And modern media, with the infinite scroll, has supercharged that tendency.

With so much choice available, if our immediate reaction isn’t to lean in then it’s to move on.
If the song on Spotify doesn’t have a strong opening hook, we move on.
But, if we like it, we put that song / artist on repeat and it climbs up into our Spotify Unwrapped.
If the first episode of the Netflix series disappoints, we move on.
But, if hooked, we binge the whole series and watch 8 hours in a row.

We have the attention span when we’re engaged. But, the decision of whether or not to engage happens more quickly.

It’s a subtle shift, but has meaningful implications for how we, as marketers, react.

If we believe that __attention spans__ are short, then we focus on immediacy. Get the logo in the first two seconds. Make the message direct, and beat them over the head with it. Scream at the viewer before they have a chance to look away. 
Which, ironically, further serves to push audiences away. [No wonder 35% of Brits use ad blockers.](https://business.yougov.com/content/49359-understanding-the-internet-habits-of-britons-as-third-party-cookies-phase-out)
It can work if you really throw money at the problem, but it’s neither effective nor efficient, nor elegant.

However, if we believe that it’s a matter of __instant reactions__, it becomes our job to give the audience something they immediately react positively to.
Something interesting. Entertaining. Useful. Beautiful. Funny. Shocking.
When I say ‘react positively’ I don’t necessarily mean that they like it; just that it catches their eye or their ear, evokes a response, and lodges in their memory. It leaves a mark; preferably an emotional one.

This isn’t a new idea. In fact, it’s a very old idea. Just ask Paul Feldwick, PT Barnum, etc. about the power of iconic visuals, absurdity, earworms, ‘in media res’ action, etc. But it’s an idea that bears repeating.

Now, what are most people’s instinctive reactions to financial services? In the general public? A wrinkling of the nose. A furrowing of the brow. ‘It’s complicated’. ‘That’s not something for me’. ‘They’re all the same anyway’.

It’s not much better for marketers in B2B. Time-poor professionals with myriad other pressures and demands on their time. Responsibilities to do what’s best for their clients, their customers, their buyers, their business. Where a change requires additional due diligence, procurement, oversight, analysis.

It’s a category where people are quick to move on, or stick to what they know, because of these instinctive immediate emotional reactions.
We, as marketers specialising in this area, need to make a better first impression in order to leave a lasting impression.
We need people to notice us (as made abundantly clear in our [Notice Me report](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/news-insights/notice-me)).
And we need to change how people react from the very first moment if we’re ever going to change how people think and feel and behave; especially when it comes to their money.

As the myth of shrinking attention spans is further debunked, Strategy Director Dan Perry suggests that what we’re really seeing is a challenge for marketers to make better first impressions

Reactionary advertising

Since the TV era was born, celebrities have played an integral part in building brand awareness and loyalty. 

Over the years, the financial services sector has also learnt to take advantage of celebrity stardust. Not only can a sprinkling of celebrity help build familiarity and trust, it can also help with cut-through in a noisy media landscape where media consumption habits evolve at speed. 

While some have relied heavily on the ‘national treasure status’ of celebrities, others have been the vehicle to put a celebrity right at the heart of British culture.

Over the last thirty years, these campaigns have typically fallen into four different groups:

__Campaign cut through__
1. [Big Zuu](https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/embed/video/2767205.html) / [Timmy Mallet](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-3020805/Video-Timmy-Malletts-nostalgia-gameshow-promote-pensions.html) / [GC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhefWZx26qs) – ABI/ PLSA ‘Pension Attention’
2. [Myleeen Klass](https://x.com/KlassMyleene/status/1816084462985244830) – Bupa Mental Health
3. [Dame Judi Dench](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTPKlyEKpo) – MoneySuperMarket

__Familiarity through wit__
1. [Ant & Dec](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr_aHaq8Eno) – Santander
2. [Rowan Atkinson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RylTP_5fG0s) – Barclaycard
3. [John Cleese](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J50wR1KB17s) – Avalon

__Reassurance & expertise__
1. [George Clarke, Scarlette Douglas & Jason Fox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02XMe4xUGN8) – AXA UK
2. [Michael Parkinson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzMm00NaDvw) – Sun Life 
3. [Carol Vorderman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7kezrUGIQ) – First Plus

__Building a national treasure__
1. [Sergei & the meerkat family](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI_J-MZ6fiY) – Compare the Market
2. [Churchill (the dog)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_eCLJglhy4) – Churchill Insurance
3. [Workie the pension monster](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1222999/Meet-pensions-monster-latest-government-ad-campaign.html) – Department of Work & Pensions, Workplace Pension campaign

With financial services providers especially reliant on establishing and growing long term relationships with customers, the transformative potential of these partnerships for a brand is significant.

But as culture continues to fragment, those brands looking for a ‘one size fits all’ celebrity may well struggle. While larger than life campaigns will still help build brand fame, it is those that are more tactical and bespoke to demographics that will likely bear the most fruit.

*Read our report, ‘[NoticeMe! Why financial services need fame](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3f5Ii0cJv8Dxd1x76biHyq/8f3217202291e6c5e2a6be8f395d2349/9988_TS_Notice_Me_Report_2025_RGB_UK_AW4_MO.pdf)’, to read our view on why financial services need to unashamedly chase fame; our definition of what we mean by fame; a host of noteworthy examples from within and outside the sector; and how to create it with behavioural science tips aka CHESS.*

With financial services providers reliant on establishing and growing long term relationships with customers, the role of celebrities to strengthen that bond continues to evolve.

Looking for a celeb in finance

__Today, wallflowers don’t get to dance. __

If you want to get results in a saturated market, where products and services blur into a sea of sameness, harnessing the standout power of your brand personality is crucial. 

Audiences aren’t looking for features – they’re seeking authentic emotional connections. This is where brand personality wears its best dress, acting as a vital differentiator. It’s no longer enough to have a quality product; how your brand speaks, behaves and engages is what truly sets it apart.

## The rise of blanding
A major pitfall brands are currently falling into, is “blanding”. Nervousness, group think and risk aversion have watered down brand personalities. Recent analysis reveals a decline in the use of characters, distinctive accents, ambiguity, wordplay, double meaning and metaphor. Brands are becoming wallpaper. But brands that are crafting their personas, pushing their creative, owning a tone, are seeing results.

What’s next? Hopefully the death of vanilla! Prudent and broadly appealing seems safe, but can backfire. Consumers crave personality, something that feels raw and relatable. Social platforms amplify the importance of personality, especially in crowded markets such as the US. So Salesforce using Matthew McConaughey, and the success of hot pink Klarna, have won using humour, wit and relatability.

## What can today’s marketer take away from this?
When consumers are bombarded with choices, personality-driven brands break through. By staying authentic, but noticeable, and engaging emotionally, brands can create lasting connections. 

Anti-blanding isn’t just a trend, it’s a necessity. Whether through humour, design or iconic actions, a strong brand personality is the best way to rise above the competition.

This blog comes from our recent insight paper ‘Signals’, which includes fourteen thought pieces from departmental experts at Teamspirit on emerging trends, opportunities - and how marketers can stay ahead of them. [You can download the full ‘Signals’ report here.](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/6BG5pebjty67CF7a8VnEAk/fe62e6890db19c99797987852c736d94/TS_2025_Signals_Report.pdf)

What is ‘blanding’? And what do brands need to do to avoid this serious condition?

The power of personality

I have told several of my friends and family that we’re launching Unity Works, a DE&I communications specialist proposition this month. I have been met - by and large - with a good giggle. 

I understand! It is not the natural year of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Political headwinds are blowing against ‘woke’ cultural movements, major US companies - including Google, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and BlackRock [1] - are scaling back their DE&I policies and targets, and economic stagnation combined with tariff chaos means business leaders have other things to worry about. Perhaps it is a moment of madness. 

But I think there's a method in it too. 

There are three main issues facing businesses when it comes to marketing inclusion, and they’re not going anywhere. 

Firstly, __consumer spending power continues to follow authentic inclusive campaigns__. No cultural vibe shifts can mask the realities of an ever-more diverse population, and that diverse population wants to spend its money on brands doing things well. Adverts featuring black people perform better[2], 50% of people are more likely to recommend a product or service if their advertisements are diverse and representative[3], and 71% of LGBTQ consumers are more likely to interact with an online ad that authentically represents their sexual orientation[4]. With marketing budgets contracting, performance and ROI is everything; authentic inclusive campaigns are a financial must-have. 

Secondly, __regulatory and legislative pressure is bedding in, not backing off__. At a sector level, the FCA’s DE&I in FS consultation paper is crystal clear: “diversity and inclusion are regulatory concerns”[5]. Even with no new DE&I rules and regs[6], the FCA still plans to support industry initiatives which boost diversity. Concurrently, the Financial Reporting Council’s revisions to the Corporate Governance Code - which came into play this January - place additional pressure on Boards in particular, requiring a diversity of personal attributes, inclusive culture, and diverse executive pipeline for good corporate governance[7]. 

And at a broader policy level, last Autumn, the Labour Government announced a draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill[8] confirming their intention to introduce a mandatory requirement for employers of 250+ employees to publish their disability and ethnicity pay gaps. While there’s no set date, it is likely the mandate for firms to have this data collected will hit within the next year - and this brings a whole host of challenges to communicate the findings well. 

Thirdly and lastly, all of those concerns about productivity, growth, and the bottom line are all well and good, but the UK is 80% service-led… and those services are driven by people. The __UK is heavily dependent on an engaged, happy, productive workforce__. Our recent research revealed that 71% of C-suites and HR Directors in the UK believe DE&I is going to be more important to prospective employees in the next couple of years. Businesses that fail to talk about diversity properly will fall behind in the recruitment race - and those that can run engaging, authentic, cool campaigns will be top of the list for young talent.

So with these three pressures, AND a more complex societal conversation, it actually feels like businesses are crying out for expertise more than ever before. 

That’s why we’re launching Unity Works, and why we’re launching it now. We can use our truly second-to-none specialist skills, across strategy, PR and research, social and search, digital development, content, and creative to solve client communications challenges which link to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We can do it as consultants, balancing business needs with communications excellence. And we can do it with passion, energy, and authenticity - we love inclusive comms, and we’re here to help you love it too. 

To find out more about Unity Works, check our our webpage [here](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/insights/unity-works) or email [unityworks@teamspirit.co.uk](mailto:unityworks@teamspirit.co.uk)

## Sources:

1. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/03/01/state-street-drops-corporate-board-diversity-requirement-here-are-all-the-companies-cutting-dei-programs/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/03/01/state-street-drops-corporate-board-diversity-requirement-here-are-all-the-companies-cutting-dei-programs/)
2. [https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/big-uplift-performance-when-black-people-themselves-represented-ads/1730746](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/big-uplift-performance-when-black-people-themselves-represented-ads/1730746)
3. [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331225/customer-attitude-diversity-inclusion-in-advertising-us-uk/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331225/customer-attitude-diversity-inclusion-in-advertising-us-uk/)
4. [https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/diversity-and-inclusion/inclusive-marketing-consumer-data/](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/diversity-and-inclusion/inclusive-marketing-consumer-data/)
5. CP23/20: Diversity and inclusion in the financial sector – working together to drive change - Foreword p3 
6. [https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/12/bank-of-england-decides-against-new-rules-on-improving-diversity-and-inclusion](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/12/bank-of-england-decides-against-new-rules-on-improving-diversity-and-inclusion)
7. [https://sustainability.slaughterandmay.com/post/102j73g/the-uk-corporate-governance-code-2024-changes-from-a-sustainability-and-di-pers](https://sustainability.slaughterandmay.com/post/102j73g/the-uk-corporate-governance-code-2024-changes-from-a-sustainability-and-di-pers)
8. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/office-for-equality-and-opportunity-to-break-down-barriers-to-opportunity](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/office-for-equality-and-opportunity-to-break-down-barriers-to-opportunity)

A moment of madness?

Teamspirit has been shortlisted for five awards at this year’s Financial Services Forum awards for our work in Public Relations, content marketing and integrated campaigning. 

Since their introduction in 2002, the Financial Services Forum Marketing Effectiveness awards have become one of the industry’s most sought after prestigious accolades, measuring the impact of marketing campaigns and acknowledging marketing excellence.  Submissions are open to financial services brands, organisations and agencies worldwide and categories include advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, PR, social media, integrated campaigns, customer experience, loyalty and retention and new product, service or innovation. 

<div class=blue>
This year Teamspirit has been shortlisted for the following work:
<br/><br/>
<ul>
<li>Janus Henderson - Cutting Through the Sea of Content – Content Marketing</li>
<li>Janus Henderson - Making Advisers ‘More Content’ – Integrated Campaign</li>
<li>Zurich: The Zurich Workplace Savings Barometer – Public Relations</li>
<li>Trussle: A Tech-Driven Triumph in the Mortgage Market - Public Relations</li>
<li>Tilney: The Cost of Tomorrow Report – Public Relations</li>
</ul>
</div>

All shortlisted entries will go on to be judged in two new categories this year that measure campaigns across all marketing disciplines in a specific industry sector, and campaigns across all marketing disciplines based on budget size. 

The awards ceremony takes place on 30th November 2017. 


Teamspirit shortlisted in five categories at the FSF Awards for Marketing Effectiveness 




Teamspirit shortlisted in five categories at the Financial Services Forum Awards for Marketing Effectiveness

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