For the first-ever FCS Marketing Partnership Award, iShares by BlackRock has been named the winner, along with its agency Edelman and a viral candy shop in New York City named Lil Sweet Treat. This award celebrates the exceptional achievement of a marketing partnership that exemplifies innovation, strategic alignment, and outstanding results.
The FCS recognized iShares’ outstanding partnership with Edelman for the launch of the iShares Top 20 U.S. Stocks ETF (TOPT), which included a groundbreaking campaign that blended finance and consumer culture to engage emerging investors. It included a dynamic experiential pop-up at Lil Sweet Treat, along with influencer marketing, and strategic storytelling. The judges noted that “the collaboration successfully made investing more approachable and captured the attention of younger audiences.”
“We’re thrilled to congratulate iShares, Edelman, and Lil Sweet Treat on winning the FCS Marketing Partnership Award,” said Kevin Windorf, CEO of the FCS. “Their campaign set a new benchmark for innovation in financial marketing by seamlessly blending creativity, strategy, and authentic engagement to connect with a new generation of investors.”
The judging panel included 11 members of the FCS Board of Directors:
- Hailey Brent, BNY Wealth
- Katherine Divney, Dotdash Meredith
- Anna Gutowski, White Spider Media
- Tim Hart, Ptarmigan Media
- Chris Konowitz, Hearst Magazines
- Karen List, List Connects
- Kirti Naik, Neuberger Berman
- Rob Pfeiffer, FOX Business
- John Toth, The 614 Group
- Damon Webber, Bank of America
- Greg Yates, Sardonyx