We’re so excited to share that FactSet’s “Not Just the Facts” campaign has earned three major wins at the 2025 ANA B2 Awards, which celebrate the very best in business-to-business marketing.
Developed with our amazing client FactSet, the campaign challenged the conventions of boring B2B financial marketing by spotlighting a common frustration: financial professionals need data, but facts without context are useless. With a smart, tongue-in-cheek approach, “Not Just the Facts” positioned FactSet as the antidote—offering insights that are as meaningful as they are actionable.
These awards reflect the power of blending creative bravery with strategic clarity, and what’s possible when a brand is willing to break away from the usual B2B playbook. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this vision to life, and thank you to ANA and the jury for this honor.
VSA’s VP of Technology Thaddeus Ternes was recently published in Ad Age. His piece reckons with the challenges and opportunities AI poses to creatives, and how we can best harness this power while protecting the aspects that make agencies great.
As agencies begin to market AI, there’s an edge of panic to their offerings. “We use AI!” is plastered across websites without any real substance as to how or why. It reads less as FOMO and more as fear of being trampled.
I’m skeptical of AI’s ability to deliver on the hype—but we’ll regret letting panic drive the choices we make.
AI has real benefits. I’m incredibly optimistic about the possibilities for human advancement, equality of health and lived experiences and how we might explore our world and our existence in new ways.
But I’m also terrified about the misuse of emerging technologies when it comes to upholding values such as democracy, justice and civilization—the essentials of a modern society.
Advertisers, marketers and creatives need to admit that using artificial intelligence embodies this same paradox. We need to navigate these challenges pragmatically, with eyes wide open. From ethical considerations to legal repercussions, these are the four questions we as an industry should be asking ourselves when we think about using AI in our business practices:
Right now, it feels like we’re all running to catch the AI train without asking where it’s going. Let’s slow down and figure out what we really want to accomplish with AI.
So much of what I hear when people tout the abilities of AI is “faster, cheaper, more.” Is that really what we are chasing as agencies? Is that what you want clients to think of you?
I don’t think so. Most of us got into this industry because of our love of the craft and the experience of working with others to create something bigger than ourselves. Beloved brands are rarely associated with doing things faster and cheaper. They’re based on qualities such as reliability, wonderful customer service and a great product. If you’re going to adopt AI, my recommendation is to think about how it bolsters the things that already make agencies great. Maybe it takes mundane tasks off creatives’ plates so they can spend more time doing deep, slow thinking. Maybe it helps writers or designers or animators flex into new skill sets more quickly, diversifying perspectives and breaking down silos.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, and some of it will take exploration. But if we can step back and figure out what the end game is, and how we ultimately want to present ourselves, we can make more intentional choices that support the long-term health of our business and our industry.
The progression of technology in the last decade—particularly in data science, machine learning and generative models—is astounding. Advances in parallel computing, mass data storage and new learning algorithms have unlocked seemingly magical capabilities. The results of these advancements are truly remarkable.
Much of it is also undeniably stolen.
That’s toxic. What rights to fair use do automated technologies have? Who gave them these rights? (The answer: No one.)
At the heart of our industry is the belief that creators deserve credit and control over their work. This principle should guide our choice of AI platforms. We should invest in technologies that align with our values and ethical standards rather than those that undermine the roles of human creators. Moreover, platforms should be required to recognize, credit and compensate artists for their work. It’s only fair that creators be rewarded for what they create. In an era when personal brand is increasingly important—but also in which AI threatens to sap us of our ingenuity—human creativity needs to be uniquely recognized and rewarded.
The platforms we use should recognize the value of creative work, crediting and compensating artists fairly. Period.
At the heart of our industry is the belief that creators deserve credit and control over their work. This principle should guide our choice of AI platforms. We should invest in technologies that align with our values and ethical standards rather than those that undermine the roles of human creators.”
Given the uncertain legal landscape surrounding AI-generated content, we’re going to need tools that serve as guardrails.
For example, I can see the benefit of a tool that works as an “AI vault,” meaning a detailed audit trail of all AI-created content, the parameters and processes used to generate it and how humans were involved. A record like that would serve as a crucial accountability tool, providing evidence of how content was created. In the event of legal disputes or copyright issues, this archive can offer a clear trail of AI usage, helping to resolve conflicts and demonstrate compliance with ethical standards.
Another thing to consider is transparency with clients. If we’re really going to embrace using AI, it shouldn’t be a secret we’re trying to hide. Clients should know when we’re using it and give explicit signoff on AI use in their projects.
One way to do that is to include AI usage in scope-of-work documents. This practice helps protect agencies against liabilities and ensures that clients are fully informed and comfortable with the technologies being used. It also builds trust, as clients are reassured there are no hidden elements in the creation process.
Creative agencies should not wait for tech companies to self-regulate. Instead, we have a responsibility to advocate for regulations that protect artists and creatives. Business leaders in the creative industry wield substantial influence and can use their platforms to push for legislation and policies that ensure fair and ethical AI usage in their fields. This involves engaging with elected officials, participating in public discourse and collaborating with industry peers to promote standards that prioritize the rights and contributions of human creators.
I’m not trying to be a Luddite. Integrating AI into the creative industry could yield some seriously exciting possibilities. But there’s always the danger of letting the shiny new toy become our value proposition.
The next 18 to 36 months might bring major headwinds for agencies, as companies decide they can use AI to replace the work agencies have provided. But we’ve seen this movie before, i.e., when the move to in-house creative shook our industry. That worked for a while, but ultimately, companies realized the benefits of bringing in outside, flexible support, and they came back.
It’s fine to tout your usage of AI. Being on the cutting edge of technology is always appealing to clients and prospective employees. But let’s not lose sight of the real thing that makes clients come back to agencies time and time again: the people.
We are very proud to announce that two of VSA’s recent collaborations with our client Sappi received award recognition.
Most recently, our 2023 holiday kit boxes received a PRINT Award for UX design in the self-promotion category, as according to PRINT it “tapped into user experience, highlighting the importance of haptics and form to create memorable brand engagements.” The holiday kit boxes are created to be both useful and beautiful, and to foster a sense of connection during the holiday season.
Our Power of Trees video and campaign also received a gold in the Hermes Creative Awards, which honors the messengers and creators of the information revolution. The Power of Trees video showcases woodfiber’s potential as a renewable material, and Sappi’s commitment to responsible forestry management.
BNY Mellon announced this week that it is updating its logo and simplifying its company umbrella brand to “BNY.” This collaboration with VSA complements BNY's evolution, and brings the logo and brand into its next era.
“This is a 240-year-old company that has never stopped asking ‘what’s next,’ and this new logo is really grounded in their strategy and who they are,” said VSA Associate Partner and Executive Creative Director YanYan Zhang. “It’s been a great partnership and a really significant moment to be a part of.”
The refreshed brand gives new life to the storied institution by recognizing its bold ambitions. Designed to speak to both its rich heritage as the country’s oldest bank and its relentless spirit of innovation, the new brand was built with flexibility as a core capability. The broader brand system allows its users to scale from formal to expressive and deliver best-in-class creativity to a wide range of audiences.
The new BNY logo embodies these key brand attributes of simplicity, flexibility and boldness.
“With this shift, the visual length of the logo reduces by two-thirds. The bold custom sans-serif letterforms are essential in establishing presence and substance. The arrow was retained and modified to convey forward thinking and modernity,” said VSA Chief Creative Officer Curt Schreiber.
While the logo is new, the refreshed brand has already received recognition, including a Gold award in the “Visual Identity System: Corporate Image” category at the FCS Portfolio Awards earlier this spring.
Our client Chime recently announced its new “MyPay” offering by taking out a center-spread ad in the New York Times.
Part celebration of Chime’s members, part rallying cry, the letter is written directly to all the Americans who’ve ever had an unexpected expense and found themselves in need of a little financial flexibility.
Chime’s latest offering, “MyPay,” gives its members access to a portion of their paycheck at any time during the pay period, helping them navigate the surprise costs that can pop up between paydays.
Very proud to be part of this announcement—congrats to Chime and the team.
Very proud to share that VSA received two awards at this year’s Financial Communications Society (FCS) Portfolio Awards, taking home a Gold and a Bronze alongside our client partners BNY Mellon and CME Group.
Our collaboration with BNY Mellon on its revitalized brand identity was recognized with a Gold award in the “Visual Identity System: Corporate Image” category. BNY Mellon’s refreshed brand expression gives new life to the storied institution by recognizing its startup-like ambitions. Designed to speak to both its rich heritage as the country’s oldest bank and its relentless spirit of innovation, the new brand was built with flexibility as a core capability. From colors to typography, the refreshed brand allows its users to scale from formal to expressive and deliver best-in-class creativity to a wide range of audiences.
Our partnership on the MarketTech Forum events with longtime client CME Group was also recognized with a Bronze award in the “Event Marketing: Corporate Image” category. MarketTech Forum is an ongoing series tailored to CME Group’s power users where they can hear directly from CME Group personnel about key developments and technological advancements to get the most out of their experience. From stage branding to wayfinding, landing pages to event mementos, VSA partnered with CME Group to create a full event-experience design that would support and scale as needed.
OpenAI had big dreams for the name GPT. It even published brand guidelines on the internet that refer to the acronym as a “trademark.” However, the company’s dream of owning the rights to GPT will fade on May 6, when its trademark application is slated for a “final action” denial from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Although OpenAI has petitioned the USPTO for an extension of the deadline, the mark is all but dead. Anyone who needs to name something can learn from its demise.
OpenAI’s failure hinges on the fact that its acronym stands for the name “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.” According to the USPTO, the name “merely describes” the service’s capabilities.
Adding insult to injury, the USPTO also states that the name “appears to be generic.” In other words, “Generative Pretrained Transformer” is the equivalent of Hershey naming its newest treat “chocolate candy bar” or Nike calling its latest sneaker “high-performance running shoe.”
GPT is so generic that more than 200 related names have been submitted to the USPTO for trademark consideration, and most have not originated with OpenAI. Applications include “Cat GPT,” “BrainGPT,” and the crowd-pleaser “GPTJesus.”
All is not lost for OpenAI. The USPTO has already approved two of the company’s other trademark applications for “GPT-3” and “GPT-4.” But this is a second-rate solution. It’s as if Apple had been prohibited from trademarking the generic name “Smartphone,” so, instead, it named its products “Smartphone-3” and “Smartphone-4.”
If OpenAI had invested more thought into developing a proprietary name to match its revolutionary technology, it could’ve inaugurated the age of AI with a world-building asset on the level of the iPhone.”
OpenAI botched its “iPhone” moment, but we can learn three naming lessons from their failure.
It’s hard to predict what’s next for GPT. If OpenAI had invested more thought into developing a proprietary name to match its revolutionary technology, it could’ve inaugurated the age of AI with a world-building asset on the level of the iPhone. Instead, it created a marketing 101 module: How NOT to brand a product.
There’s also a more significant lesson. Business history isn’t written with sales numbers, market share, advertisements, or logos—all of which change over time. The story is told through brand names that seldom, if ever, change. That’s why every naming project is an opportunity to write history. Don’t “GPT” your chance at immortality.
This piece originally appeared in PRINT Magazine.
Image created by Josh Berta.
