A brand campaign inspired by the Goldilocks fairy tale, designed to introduce American Century Investments to new audiences. The concept positions the firm as just right, not too big and not too small, while highlighting a client-focused approach that balances scale with personal attention.
Art Direction | Design | Project Management
American Century Investments
Chair Metaphor and Brand Symbolism
Each brand in the campaign was represented by a distinct chair style, using form and function as a metaphor for how Goldilocks—and prospective clients—experience financial firms.
American Century Investments was symbolized by a post-modern chair: distinctive without being pretentious. Like Goldilocks, the brand doesn’t want to blend in for the sake of convention, but it understands that design must ultimately serve function. The result is a firm that balances originality with comfort, adaptability, and purpose.
J.P. Morgan was represented by a formal, rigid chair—uncomfortable and imposing. While prestigious, it reflects an experience that feels fixed, slow to adapt, and unable to pivot quickly to individual needs.
Fidelity was symbolized by a La-Z-Boy chair. It offers familiarity and surface-level comfort, but its cookie-cutter scale and limited customization fail to accommodate Goldilocks’ specific needs. True personalization exists, but only at a much higher cost.
Other firms were assigned chair styles based on how Goldilocks would perceive their balance (or imbalance) of comfort, flexibility, scale, and personalization—reinforcing why American Century Investments ultimately felt “just right.”
The campaign was enthusiastically embraced by senior leadership and quickly became a favorite internally for its clarity, originality, and strategic storytelling. Beyond the primary brand execution, numerous outtakes from the photoshoot were repurposed across social media, extending the life of the campaign and reinforcing the “just right” message over time. Many of these assets continue to be used today, demonstrating the flexibility and lasting value of the concept.
