The birth of ETF's
Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, are diversified mutual fund-like investments that trade like stocks. They're a safer way to invest in stocks, essentially. So at launch of the first complete family of ETFs, iShares, we demonstrated the volatility of investing in general and offered ETFs as the solution. The products were complicated—our message wasn't. Traditional investing was risky, iShares were safer. ETFs now dominate the financial world.
Other campaign work touted the advantages of diversifying through owning the S&P500 in one stock transaction. On launch day, in the New York Times, we demonstrated how every stock could now be purchased through ETF's—creating an entirely new stock page. A magazine spread showed how an investor can strategically use ETF's to adjust your holdings as life changes.
