Graduate Financially

Millennials have come a long way from the bygone era of hipster mustaches, shutter shades, and sepia filters. They’ve graduated from first jobs, first apartments, and first loves. Yet, an Ally study found that nearly half still use their first bank account—with roughly 3 in 4 reporting they opened the account as a teenager.
That insight sparked the finance company’s strategy of addressing “banking inertia,” the tendency to stick with the same bank long after it makes sense. After all, as life moves forward, so should your bank. Developed in partnership with Anomaly, the new “Graduate Financially” campaign reframes switching banks as a life upgrade—on par with moving to a new city, changing jobs, or getting a new apartment—and one that’s long overdue.
The :30 second spot taps into early 2010s nostalgia — think Harlem Shake — to unlock core Millennial memories and invite reflection on how far they’ve come. With Ally, they can mark another major milestone. Not just growing up, but growing financially. Two 15-second cuts accompany the campaign; you can have a look here, and here.
To further ground the campaign in its Millennial roots, Ally teamed up with teen heartthrob of the era, Taylor Lautner, for an Instagram and TikTok campaign, reinforcing just how long ago many opened their first account. Ally is the bank built for “what’s next,” aligning with how people manage money today. Being digital-first goes hand-in-hand with being customer-first: no branches, no waiting rooms—just intuitive tools that fit seamlessly into modern financial life.
Ally isn’t like your first bank. It’s a smarter, mobile-first platform with tools tailored to Millennial habits — automated savings, budget visibility, and frictionless usability for those who expect everything to just work. The work launches today, June 2, across linear, CTV, OLV, paid social, and influencer content — perfectly timed to evoke nostalgia for the spring graduation season.