Experian is opening the year with a fresh marketing strategy that borrows from the Brothers Grimm-style storytelling tradition to drive awareness and consideration of its credit score tool.
The aim is to show how small, practical steps can lead to better financial outcomes – helping consumers move closer to their goals and aspirations, rather than feeling stuck in a storyline they didn’t choose.
“Better Your Story” Brings Positivity to a Serious Category
Devised by BBH, the new platform is titled “Better your Story” and is positioned as a deliberate shift in tone for the financial category – injecting what the brand sees as a much-needed dose of positivity, alongside “actionable hope”.
Instead of leaning on fear, jargon, or worst-case warnings, the campaign centres on familiar nursery rhymes and fairy tales to underline a universal truth: sometimes, all it takes is the right helping hand at the right moment to change the ending.
A Multi-Channel Launch Built for Reach and Momentum
At the heart of the activity is a 60-second film, supported by radio and three out-of-home (OOH) executions.
Each creative treatment plays with recognisable stories, highlighting moments where a small intervention from Experian could have fundamentally rewritten the outcome.
The campaign will also run across cinema, VOD, digital and social, planned as an initial three-month burst, with media handled by PHD – suggesting a launch designed not just for quick awareness, but for sustained attention and consideration over time.
The “Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” Gets a Modern Rewrite
The launch TV spot focuses on the woman who lives in a shoe, reframing a traditional folk rhyme first published in 1784.
In Experian’s retelling, the story becomes less about fate and frustration, and more about the possibility of a different path – specifically, how guidance and tools could have helped her achieve a better mortgage outcome, and ultimately a better home that actually fits her growing family.
It’s a smart creative choice: the original tale is instantly recognisable, yet broad enough to be reshaped into something modern – turning the “shoe” into a visual metaphor for being cramped by circumstances, and the “better ending” into something practical and achievable.
Craft, Contrast, and a Split-Screen World of Fiction and Reality
This vision was realised by director Tom Noakes through Business Club, with the production leaning into the juxtaposition of the fictional and the modern. The film featured two life-size shoe set builds, creating a bold, tangible centrepiece that anchors the fairytale world on screen.
To further heighten the storybook feel, the work also included detailed, illustrated storybooks crafted with Curious Productions, reinforcing the campaign’s central idea: that stories can be rewritten – and that financial progress can start with something small, clear, and within reach.
A Soundtrack That Blends Old Tales with a Modern Voice
The campaign’s music was created specifically for the work, with composer Tom Caruana from Wake The Town collaborating with rap artist and musician Meduulla.
Meduulla not only contributes musically, but also voices the ad, bringing a contemporary feel that contrasts with the traditional rhyme – bridging the world of fairy tales with the realities of modern financial decision-making.
The result is a tonal mix designed to feel familiar but not dated: classic story structure, modern voice, and a message that leans toward empowerment rather than judgement.
Experian and BBH Frame It as More Than Advertising
Experian’s Consumer Services chief marketing officer described “Better Your Story” as more than a campaign, calling it a commitment to helping people take control of their financial future.
The message is clear: life doesn’t always go to plan, but with the right tools and guidance, people have the power to change their narrative. Experian says this platform brings that promise to life in a way that’s bold, relatable, and full of optimism.
BBH’s executive creative director delivered the closing wink in fairytale fashion, suggesting that “once upon a time” BBH made a modern-day fairy tale to tell the world about credit scores – and that, naturally, the ad world lived happily ever after.
Conclusion: A Familiar Tale, Rewritten for Modern Money Decisions
With “Better Your Story”, Experian and BBH are using the language of nursery rhymes and fairy tales to make credit scores feel less intimidating – and more like a practical tool that can influence real outcomes, from mortgage prospects to broader life goals.
Anchored by a 60-second film, supported by radio and OOH, and rolled out across cinema, VOD, digital and social media in a three-month burst (with media handled by PHD), the campaign blends high craft – shoe set builds, illustrated storybooks, and a bespoke modern soundtrack – with a clear strategic ambition: to bring optimism and agency back into the financial conversation.
In short, it’s a reminder that while nobody can control every twist in life’s plot, the right guidance can still help people change the ending.
