OppenheimerFunds Launches New Brand Campaign Challenge the Index

NEW YORK, April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OppenheimerFunds, a leading global asset manager, today announced the launch of its new brand campaign: Challenge the Index. The campaign will build further awareness of the firm, while focusing on a number of specific product offerings, such as Revenue Weighted ETF strategies, including ESG, and the firm's International Growth, International Bond and Emerging Markets Local Bond Strategies.

"Our marketing communications take an innovative approach that amplify our diverse offerings, which include smart beta ETF and actively managed investment strategies," said John McDonough, Head of Distribution and Marketing, OppenheimerFunds. "Featured across digital media channels, Challenge The Index clearly indicates the innovative and differentiated ways we look at the world, offering trusted, long-term investing opportunities for our clients and their end investors."

The campaign website (www.challengetheindex.com) features a video of Krishna Memani, Chief Investment Officer at OppenheimerFunds, who articulates the firm's focus on finding new ways to challenge the status quo of investing by identifying opportunities that others may not see. "Today's markets demand that we challenge the conventional approach to investing and seek additional ways to drive long-term performance," commented Memani. "We must continue to actively dive deep into markets and companies that are outgrowing global GDP to find true evidence of economic expansion and growing infrastructure."

Building on the success of its award-winning Invest in a Beautiful World campaign, OppenheimerFunds has continued to evolve its brand message architecture:

• Investment Philosophy: "The Right Way to Invest" -- Long Term, Global Perspectives, Intelligent Risks, Proven Teams
• Creative Brand Expression: Invest in a Beautiful World (launched September 2015)
• Messaging Platform: Challenge the Index (launched April 2017)
• Product Message:
  • Active Management 
  • Smart Beta 

OppenheimerFunds' Challenge the Index campaign will execute a multifaceted media strategy to engage with the firm's target client segments, which include financial advisors, broker dealers, RIAs, high-net-worth and institutional clients. Leveraging the latest in digital technology for desktop, mobile, tablet and other applications, the campaign presents compelling stories that challenge investors' perceptions. For example, the campaign's "Challenge Perceptions" message highlights the benefits of an emerging middle class in support of the firm's actively managed International Growth strategy. Whereas its "Challenge 1957" message challenges investors' focus on traditional market cap index weighting. 

"Market cap weighting has been around since the S&P 500 was created in 1957. Investors today should consider more effective weightings such as revenue as a way to weight - and challenge - the index," said Sharon French, Head of Smart Beta Solutions at OppenheimerFunds. "We continue to develop innovative solutions for clients, and most recently have added ESG to our Beta line up, with additional expansion efforts underway." 

As part of the launch, OppenheimerFunds partnered with Future Colossal to create an immersive interactive window installation at 67 Wall Street in New York. From April 5 to May 3, visitors can experience what Wall Street looked like in 1957, when the S&P 500 began as an index. OppenheimerFunds' Revenue Weighted ETFs challenge that old thinking with a smarter way to weight the index.  As part of the same installation, passersby can interact in augmented reality with animals symbolizing global and emerging economies, to remind them to challenge home market bias, and perceptions about investing in these markets.

"In addition to our thought-provoking and highly visual digital advertising, this immersive experience gives the public a chance to interact with our brand right in the heart of the financial district," said Erik Schneberger, Head of Brand & Client Experience. "It adds a fresh and innovative element of surprise and social engagement to our campaign."

The public can share their experience with the campaign in person and on social media, including Twitter, Periscope and Snapchat (#ChallengeTheIndex).

Along with engaging clients, the firm challenged employees to create an internal headline that represents the campaign. Challenge Boundaries was selected as it "captures the unique investment philosophy of our International Bond strategy, and also expresses how we are challenging boundaries across the organization with product development, client experiences and innovation," explained McDonough.

MRM//McCann led the creative development in partnership with Havas Media who designed a fully integrated and innovative digital media strategy.

About OppenheimerFunds

OppenheimerFunds, Inc., a leader in global asset management, is dedicated to providing solutions for its partners and end investors. OppenheimerFunds, including its subsidiaries, manages more than $228 billion in assets for over 13 million shareholder accounts, including sub-accounts, as of March 31, 2017.

Founded in 1959, OppenheimerFunds is an asset manager with a history of providing innovative strategies to its investors. The firm's 15 investment management teams specialize in equity, fixed income, alternative, multi-asset, and revenue-weighted-ETF strategies, including ESG. OppenheimerFunds and its subsidiaries offer a broad array of products and services to clients, who range from endowments and sovereigns to financial advisors and individual investors. OppenheimerFunds and certain of its subsidiaries provide advisory services to the Oppenheimer family of funds, and OFI Global Asset Management offers solutions to institutions. The firm is also active through its Philanthropy & Community initiative: 10,000 Kids by 2020, reaching children with introductions to math literacy programs. For more information on the firm, visit oppenheimerfunds.com.

An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of principal amount invested. Foreign investments may be volatile and involve additional expenses and special risks, including currency fluctuations, foreign taxes, regulatory and geopolitical risks. The stocks of companies with favorable ESG practices may underperform the stock market as a whole. Fund returns may not match the return of its respective index, known as non-correlation risk, due to operating expenses incurred by the Fund.  The alternate weighting approach employed by the Fund (i.e., using revenues as a weighting measure), while designed to enhance potential returns, may not produce the desired results. Because the Fund is rebalanced quarterly, portfolio turnover may exceed 100%. The greater the portfolio turnover, the greater the transaction costs, which could have an adverse effect on Fund performance.

Before investing in any of the Oppenheimer funds, investors should carefully consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses contain this and other information about the funds, and may be obtained by asking your financial advisor, visiting oppenheimerfunds.comor calling 1.800.CALL OPP (225.5677). Read prospectuses and summary prospectuses carefully before investing.

Oppenheimer funds are distributed by OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY, 10281

© 2017 OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. All rights reserved

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SOURCE OppenheimerFunds