iShares by BlackRock – Active ETFs: Systematic Myth Busting Social Media Videos
Full Length videos – 4×5 & 16×9
Client: iShares by BlackRock
About the client: BlackRock’s ETF business and a leading global ETF issuer, providing transparent, exchange listed funds to professional and individual investors.
Main products and services: ETFs, index and active, across equities, fixed income, factors, thematic and sustainable exposures, plus portfolio tools and investor education.
iShares wanted to help professional clients and qualified investors understand the value of systematic investing and dispel common myths. They needed engaging video content that was on brand, compliant, and genuinely useful to a sophisticated audience.
The goal wasn’t to chase clicks or other short term metrics, but to increase investor understanding and build trust.
We partnered with Unicorn Films, a video production company based in London, to create a suite of social media videos that explain the systematic process in clear, human terms and emphasise the human input.
Each video pairs expert commentary with on brand motion design and animation, captions for viewing without sound, and a single, consistent call to action to learn more about Active ETFs on the iShares website.
Together, we delivered a compliant, approachable set of videos that meet iShares’ standards and speak to professionals who value clear and candid communications over hype.
Myth 01: Run Solely By Computers – 4×5 & 16×9
The problem: Persistent myths block action
Systematic investing is clouded by four persistent myths that stall engagement with active ETFs. Firstly, that computers run the show unaided, that quant is a black box, that it competes with fundamental investing, and that big data and AI generate all the ideas.
These perceptions can erode confidence among professional clients and qualified investors, creating a need for educational and compliant video content that demystifies and clears up the confusion.
Myth 02: Quant is a Black Box – 4×5 & 16×9
The solution: Myth busting with experts at the centre
The videos centre on two expert voices: Ahmed Talhaoui, Head of BlackRock Systematic EMEA and APAC, and Adam Riley, Head of International Wealth Strategy for BlackRock Systematic Investing.
Their direct-to-camera delivery and consistent eye contact anchor authority and trust from the very first frame.
Our task was to translate their expertise into something approachable without losing credibility.
Each video follows a tight Q&A spine: the myth is posed in voiceover, Ahmed or Adam answers on camera in plain language, and we close with a single call to action to learn more about Active ETFs on the iShares website.
Across the series of videos they make the human role front and centre. Tech executes rules at scale, but people ask the questions, design and test the models, approve recommendations, and take accountability for performance and risk.
The lower thirds clarify titles and roles, myth title cards punctuate each chapter, captions are burned in for sound-off viewing, and the pacing is tuned for the feed without sacrificing substance.
Myth 03: Systematic vs Fundamental Investing – 4×5 & 16×9
Formats and deliverables: A master video and myth busting cut downs
We produced ten videos across 16:9 and 4:5. The centrepiece is a full length video of about three minutes and thirty seconds that threads all four myths into one informational video.
From that master we created eight single myth cut downs of around one minute each in both aspect ratios, giving teams targeted assets to tackle specific misconceptions in the feed or in sales enablement.
Myth 04: Big Data and AI – 4×5 & 16×9
Result: From myth to understanding
The series of social media videos delivered a clear, reusable library of on brand, compliance ready videos.
Each video tackles a specific myth as a short chapter and replaces abstraction with a transparent, human led narrative lead by senior BlackRock expert voices.
Every edit closes with the same call to action: “learn more about Active ETFs on the iShares website”, giving investors a consistent, low friction next step.
The modular structure gives distribution teams flexibility; use the full master for deeper education, or deploy targeted single myth cut downs wherever it’s needed.
Ready to build investor trust and tackle complex misconceptions?
Our videos place your firm’s experts at the centre of the conversation, building credibility and demystifying complex topics for professional audiences. Whether you need to educate clients, enable your sales team, or launch a myth busting social media campaign, we’re happy to help.
Video Frames
Here are some frames from the Systematic Myth Busting Social Media Videos.
