Yolt uses neuroscience to explain our bad money decisions

The lizard brain loves to spend and hates to save.

Yolt is the financial app using neuroscience to outsmart your brain biology. The campaign, created by Uncommon Creative Studio, focuses on the lizard brain, an evolutionary throwback responsible for your most impulsive and financially dubious decisions.

Inside every human brain is the lizard brain. The lizard brain loves to spend and hates to save. You could say the lizard brain is responsible for every terrible financial decision ever and here’s why…

The lizard brain, otherwise known as your ‘cerebrum serpentium’, comprises of destructive, excessive and compulsive spending habits. Activities such as buying those extra lavish take-outs on a Tuesday, scoring the latest trainer drop for no real reason and getting yourself the next best gaming sensation, just because. We continue to spend — regardless of any global recession or logical urge to save.

The campaign explores the idea of making saving as easy as spending with neon anatomical imagery including inside the brain, spine, lungs and kidneys.

Rooted in behavioural science, the playful, yet relatable campaign has scientific explanation as to why humans spend in the way they do. It brings to life how through using smart money apps like Yolt, people can take back control of their money.

Lucy Jameson, co-founder at Uncommon said: “Yolt is all about giving everyone the power to be smarter with their money. Our strategy explored the ways we can take control of our money, with a playful take on the science behind why we spend the way we do at the moment.”

Rachel Louie Butterworth, brand and marketing director at Yolt added: “We chose Uncommon as our creative partner to really help drive brand awareness and fame with a distinct creative brand platform for the app. The combination of ‘Unthink Money’ paired with the behavioural science and disruptive nature of the lizard brain does just that. We’re so excited to launch this campaign for Yolt, which will help more people spend smart and save.”

The copy reflects clever juxtapositions between saving and science such as ‘Dopamine compels us to buy things for no reason other than the fact that it happens to be, like, Tuesday or whatever’ and ‘Lizard brain’s like make it rain. Human brain’s like make it stop.’

The film was created with renowned animation studio Private Island, directed by Chris Boyle, whose 3D skills helped capture and create the psychedelic world in which lizard brain exists. The music for the work was also specially composed by Pablo Nouvelle through Theodore, creating an entire track for the campaign.