Wells Fargo - Learning Sign Language - (2015) :60 (USA)

Wells Fargo wants to position themselves as the bank for your big steps in life, and have started their new campaign with an emotional story about a lesbian couple adopting an older child.

The first time I watched this ad I forgot to pay attention, and thought that the blond woman was learning sign language as the brunette was hearing impaired. On second view I see that both of the new mommies aren't hearing impaired, only the child is, and at that point the tearjerking story feels quite forced, as if checking all the boxes. While it's great to see a positive promotion of adopting an older child, many kids out there are shunned by potential adoptive parents simply because they are older, the story itself could have sold anything from online learning tools to GLAAD memberships. Wells Fargo have a terrible reputation as a bank, and I doubt emotional ads will change that perception as it doesn't address it at all. They did hit a parental nerve though, parents will do anything for kids, including mastering ASL if needed. Naturally there was some people who disliked the ad, and some controversy around it due to the subject of a lesbian couple adopting, but not enough to make it go viral twice.

Credits were not included but it sounds like Queen Latifah handles the VO: "Everyone works hard for a reason. Working together we can help you prepare financially for when two becomes three."

Client: Wells Fargo