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Global Ads Spotlight: How U.S. Bank turned a lingering pain point into a national conversation
To launch a voice assistant, U.S. Bank didn’t push product features. Instead, it shined a light on an often-ignored reality: millions of children acting as translators for their families. Read and watch in our Global Ads Spotlight column.
The bank unveiled Asistente Inteligente, the first-ever bilingual Spanish voice assistant for banking in the U.S.
When was the last time a bank ad made you feel something? Not just admire clever copy or slick production - but genuinely stop and think?
U.S. Bank's campaign did just that, by turning a tech product rollout into a full-blown cultural moment.
The bank unveiled Asistente Inteligente, the first-ever bilingual Spanish voice assistant for banking in the U.S. But rather than touting AI capabilities or showing off app interfaces, the brand told the deeply human story behind the innovation: children of immigrant families acting as translators for their parents - sometimes for conversations far beyond their age and emotional capacity.
The insight wasn't plucked from a creative brainstorm. It came directly from the ground - from U.S. Bank's own branches, where employees noticed kids helping parents navigate everything from account openings to credit card questions.
The reality: over 11 million child translators exist in the U.S., many carrying the weight of healthcare decisions, legal paperwork, and financial matters on tiny shoulders.
To center this emotional truth, the brand launched "Translators," a 20-minute documentary that elevated these kids from quiet intermediaries to powerful protagonists. The campaign was created in partnership with Emmy-award winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez.
Premiered at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, and later at Tribeca, the film chose authenticity over clout. It wasn't just festival fodder - it was community-first storytelling.
Narrated and supported by Latinx stars Leslie Grace and John Leguizamo, who brought their own childhood translation experiences into the spotlight, the campaign tapped into both personal and cultural memory. Their involvement didn't feel like celebrity dressing - it amplified a share truth, adding depth rather than gloss.
But the campaign didn't stop ay film festivals. It hit the streets - and the stadiums. Screenings were hosted in community centers, colleges, churches, and even U.S. Bank branches.
Sound booths let attendees record their own translation stories. During baseball games, trailers played on jumbotrons for thousands to see - an unexpected but impactful placement that proved the campaign wasn't just talking to people; it was talking with them.
Every touchpoint spoke to care. The campaign site was bilingual. So were the creative assets. The story was carried across major publications, from Latinx outlets to national media. And it sparked a cultural conversation, not just a product push: 16.7 billion earned impressions, nearly 1,000 media placements, and half a billion social engagements. It also bagged a Cannes Lions award and multiple other shortlists.
More importantly, Asistente Inteligente saw a 220% spike in usage, while brand awareness and consideration jumped 13 and 10 points respectively.
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