The Challenge
Credit Karma asked MAX to prove that an awareness campaign could actually drive down-funnel KPIs (like app downloads): a challenge the team was excited to take on.
Campaign Objectives:
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Drive Gen Z reach through native-led social content and artist-driven storytelling.
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Strengthen brand affinity by anchoring Credit Karma as a primary financial wellness resource.
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Drive new account sign-ups by establishing Credit Karma as the definitive tool for financial health.
The Solution
Working with MAX, Credit Karma teamed up with singer-songwriter Alexander Stewart to share some financial wisdom with his Gen Z audience, showing them that mastering your money shouldn't be harder than writing a hit single.
With content that feels native to each social platform, this fun, on-trend campaign uses Alexander's real-life financial journey to drive brand awareness and new Credit Karma sign-ups.
MAX developed a three-phase social media plan that shows Alexander participating in the viral TikTok "this or that" challenge, talking with his manager about upcoming video shoots, and having a conversation with a past version of himself.
Alexander Stewart's natural charm and authentic personality shine through in relatable, educational social videos.
Content & Results
Phase 1 Objectives: Awareness & Authenticity
Leveraged Alexander’s native social presence to introduce financial wellness to the 18–28 demographic, successfully evolving brand perception beyond credit scores toward a holistic financial resource.
Phase 1 Results:
Phase 1 was designed to get people comfortable with the brand first. By getting in front of audiences early, we broke down that initial wall of skepticism. This warmed up the audience so that when they saw direct-response ads later, the trust was already there and they were much more likely to sign up. The self-capture style of content performed particularly well on TikTok, driving a 23% engagement rate.
Phase 2 Objectives: Engagement & Acquisition
Pivoted toward driving platform sign-ups by demonstrating the seamless integration of Credit Karma’s tools into the Gen Z lifestyle.
Phase 2 Results:
Phase 2 creative proved that relatability is a powerful driver. MAX grounded financial anxiety in the everyday struggle of balancing a music career and money. This worked by removing the intimidation factor often associated with fintech and proved that users are much more likely to engage with a brand that validates their current reality rather than one that forces them to adopt a complex new financial persona. Introducing clear CTA's drove a 2.4x increase in CTR on Instagram.
Phase 3: High-Intent Conversion (Tax Season)
Positioned Credit Karma as the essential “financial hack” for tax season, utilizing fresh creative to drive filing speed and confidence.
Phase 3 Results:
Phase 3 included social video variations with stronger CTAs. Combined data from phase 2 and 3 show a 40% jump in efficiency when content moved from awareness to conversion-focused. Being direct and giving people clear choices worked well, showing how explicit messaging drove action.
YouTube long-form content was a massive standout. Despite viewers having the option to skip content after 5 seconds, the video maintained a 75% view rate, holding people’s attention for more than two minutes. This shows that content hooked the audience and got them to stop their usual habits to actually watch the story.
Brand Lift Study
MAX contracted a third party firm, Kantar, to conduct a brand lift study measuring how well campaign content influenced awareness, favorability, and consideration among key target audiences.
Brand Lift KPIs:
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Boost awareness that Credit Karma is more than just credit scores.
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Increase favorability towards Credit Karma with key demographics, including adults 18-24.
- Drive brand consideration for Credit Karma.
The Alexander Stewart campaign defended strong baselines across all metrics and surpassed Kantar Financial Services benchmarks for Sponsorship Association.
Messaging was most effective when audiences had prolonged exposure, both in frequency and over time. As media performance became more efficient towards the end of Phase 3, brand sentiment shifted more favorably.
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