Last night, Robinhood's product launch event at Cannes was quite extraordinary. Interestingly, this Gen Z Silicon Valley brokerage, which originated with a "retail investor-friendly" core concept, showcased a significant amount of "old-money aesthetics" visual elements at the event, sparking heated discussions due to this striking image contrast.

Related Reading: "Robinhood's High-Profile Product Launch Event at Cannes, Completely Igniting the Online Brokerage Competition"

At the beginning of the event, a shiny vintage convertible car drove along the winding mountain road into the Château de la Croix des Gardes estate. At Robinhood's latest Cannes event, guests were dressed in elegant gentleman attire, as if attending a mid-20th-century wealthy private banquet. And all of this was no coincidence. This event, named "To Catch A Token," is paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 classic film "To Catch A Thief."

"To Catch A Thief" was filmed at the famous Château de la Croix des Gardes estate in Cannes. Historically, the Riviera region of France where Cannes is located has always been the playground of the European "old-money" class: 19th-century British nobles built villas here (such as the Rothschild estate), and 20th-century Hollywood stars and royalty frequented the area. The Château de la Croix des Gardes estate, in particular, is a local landmark luxury residence and has become a popular vacation spot for the elite due to the film "To Catch A Thief."

This time, Robinhood chose the same location for the event and used similar visual elements, clearly intending to leverage the cinematic atmosphere to cleverly place its innovative financial technology products in the storyline of "a global plan brewing under the shadow of traditional wealth." On the one hand, symbols of "old money" (vintage cars, castles, formal attire, gold watches) symbolize a rich wealth tradition and status, creating a stable and trustworthy tone; on the other hand, the event introduced cutting-edge products such as cryptocurrency and tokenized stocks.

This fintech extravaganza, staged in the "Old Money Temple," conveys the story the brand wants to tell: behind the old-world wealth lies a financial future "thief" quietly in action. It also encapsulates Robinhood's consistent mission of "stealing out wealth opportunities that were previously only available to the rich and delivering them to the public."

From Outlaw to Aristocrat: Robinhood's "Old Money" Metamorphosis

In the movie "Catch Me If You Can," the protagonist transforms from a former outlaw into a hero, collaborates with the authorities, and ultimately ascends to the aristocracy. This transformation is also the message conveyed by Robinhood recently through brand visuals and product upgrades.

Youthful Upstart

Early Robinhood was perceived as a disruptive startup: zero-commission trades, confetti animation celebrating successful trades, and an emphasis on "making stock trading easy even for young novices." The brand tone leaned towards youthfulness, grassroots, and internet-savvy. However, as the business evolved, Robinhood's user base and needs quietly underwent a transformation.

Analysis shows that by the third quarter of 2024, the average asset per new user added to Robinhood had surged to around $100,000, nearly approaching the core client circle of traditional brokerage giant Charles Schwab. This indicates that many wealthier and more serious investors have started entering the Robinhood platform. Their needs go far beyond simple "one-click trading" and instead expect more comprehensive professional financial services.

Understated Luxury

In Robinhood's new visual system, it has abandoned the previous cartoonish color tone, moving towards a black-and-white neutral palette and an elegant and refined design style. This "Quiet Luxury" aesthetic orientation aligns with the understated dignity of the "Old Money" class. Michael Goodbody, Vice President of Marketing, points out that the company's new visuals are "an external reflection of the business's maturity and growth," aiming to create a modern, sophisticated image, embracing more serious investors, and serving as a trustworthy home for future generations of investors. It is evident that Robinhood is no longer content with being just a beginner's stock trading app for young people but aims to establish a sense of trust and authority similar to traditional brokerages for its customers.

This transformation is also reflected in Robinhood's recent product strategy. The company has started offering premium user services such as lower margin loan rates, cash management features, retirement accounts, advanced analytics tools, and even released a gold-colored co-branded credit card targeting high-end clients. These measures are essentially moving towards the comprehensive wealth management model of traditional brokerages. In the past, Robinhood jokingly described the difference between two types of investor groups as "poor people borrowing money to speculate on stocks, rich people managing assets." And now, Robinhood clearly hopes to break this stereotype, positioning itself as a comprehensive investment platform that caters to both the poor and the rich.

The rogue finally becomes a hero, "The once unruly newcomer in the financial industry ultimately has to grow into a mature and prudent elder figure." The visual style of this Robinhood event exudes an old aristocratic vibe, precisely to declare to the outside world: we are no longer just a playground for young retail investors, but we now have the capability to serve high-net-worth clients, as a trustworthy, more mature financial platform.

The 'Nobilization' of Crypto Narratives: Who Does It Hit?

The visual narrative of "old money style" adopted by Robinhood in this event cleverly tells different stories to different audiences:

European and American Crypto Users

First and foremost, this event is fundamentally about Robinhood launching a series of crypto products (such as on-chain stock tokens, L2 blockchain, perpetual contracts, etc.). European and American cryptocurrency enthusiasts and professionals are the main audience.

For these people, Robinhood aims to convey two messages: firstly, that traditional finance and the crypto world are integrating, with Robinhood standing at the intersection as a bridge; secondly, that Robinhood offers high-end, trustworthy crypto services, rather than a rugged, speculative platform. After all, having experienced the intense turmoil and regulatory storms in the crypto market in recent years, crypto users increasingly value the platform's security and compliance.

By appearing in a solemn and traditional image, Robinhood can give these users more confidence. "We understand both the trendiness of Crypto and the rules of traditional finance," emphasized Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev at the start of the event.

Additionally, the choice of Cannes as the venue for this event aligns with Robinhood's international strategy. In recent years, Robinhood has been seeking to expand outside the United States, particularly in Europe. The content of this event focuses on the European market (such as launching on-chain stock tokens in 30 European countries, launching crypto perpetual contracts in the EU, etc.), hosted by its EU subsidiary. Choosing to hold a high-profile event in France in Europe demonstrates Robinhood's attention and commitment to the European market.

This is in stark contrast to the situation in 2019 when Robinhood announced its entry into the UK but later postponed the plan—back then, due to various reasons, Robinhood was unable to start its UK operations as intended. Now, by entering the European mainland market through its crypto business, Robinhood needs to demonstrate its sincerity and strength to European users and regulators. In the EU financial landscape, London and New York are financial centers, but Cannes, as an international neutral and symbolically significant stage, avoids falling into the cliché of any financial center. It gives a more globalized and transcendent feeling, free from political and economic disputes, giving the press conference a sense of "world tour."

As Vlad Tenev said at the press conference, Europe's clear crypto regulation has paved the way for innovation, and the United States will eventually follow suit—this is actually an endorsement of Robinhood's global expansion. By choosing to hold the event in Europe with great fanfare, the message is clear: Robinhood is no longer a domestic company but is actively embracing the international market.

Youthful High Net Worth Individuals

The visual style of this event also targets a group of emerging high net worth young people—such as the "nouveau riche" who have risen to wealth through tech entrepreneurship or crypto investments. They are young but have substantial assets, familiar with internet culture, and aspire to a traditional elite lifestyle. The aesthetic of "Old Money" is currently popular in this generation.

For example, a social media influencer dressed in a blue pinstripe suit, driving a 1962 red Alfa Romeo convertible antique car, cruising along the shores of Lake Como in a video that garnered millions of views. This fantasy of aristocratic life is a manifestation of the prevailing "Old Money" aesthetic. Creating a similar scene at the event, Robinhood undoubtedly resonates emotionally with this young affluent group, elevating the brand's prestige in the minds of young high net worth customers—using Robinhood is not just a financial choice but also a lifestyle choice with taste.

Traditional Financial Institutions and Investors

Although Robinhood primarily serves retail investors, the narrative of this event may also target institutional audiences—potential partners, investors, and regulators.

In the financial industry, the "Old Money" style is often associated with stability and credibility. Through a high-profile format, Robinhood's unveiling of its new business in Europe is not only a declaration to the traditional financial world of its ambitions to enter the international market but also a public relations tactic to showcase its professionalism and compliance. The event was hosted by its European subsidiary, conducted under the European regulatory framework, and featured heavyweight guests like the co-founder of Ethereum. In the context of a global roadshow, this emphasis on grandeur in the performance is meant to show institutional investors and regulatory bodies that Robinhood is striving to play the role of a responsible market participant, not just a synonym for "retail investor frenzy," and to convey to potential strategic partners (such as local European banks and exchanges) information about its financial strength and long-term planning.

Overall, Robinhood's visual and narrative strategy this time hit three targets with one arrow: it inspired ordinary users' imagination of a noble wealthy life, enhancing brand attractiveness; soothed high-net-worth users' demand for platform credibility; and catered to the traditional finance industry's preference for a stable image. By packaging new financial technology with old-money elements, the maximization of the dissemination effect was achieved.

The "Old Money Sentiment" of Financial New Nobles

Robinhood is not the only company in marketing attempting the "old money style" or similar aesthetic reversal strategy. In the Web3, Fintech, and even the broader Internet industry, in recent years, many brands have borrowed elements from old nobility, American high society, etc., to achieve an unexpected dissemination effect. The logic behind it is: by introducing high-end traditional elements that sharply contrast with their original tone, they create topicality and brand freshness. Below are a few cases worth comparing:

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC): The Irony of Web3's Aristocratic Club

BAYC is a well-known NFT project, and its brand concept itself is a mimicry and replication of the old-money class. The bored apes form a "yacht club," which was originally a scene of traditional elite socialization (private yacht clubs). BAYC gave this typical "old money" symbol a new meaning with a cartoon ape image, creating a digital club that only crypto new nobles can join. As a result, this NFT series with a noble club tone was hugely successful, attracting many celebrities and billionaires to buy in.

Tuxedo Society: Monetizing Nostalgic Aristocracy

Not only in finance, on the Internet, there has also emerged a group of brands specifically selling the "old money lifestyle." For example, Tuxedo Society, founded by Italian youth, is essentially a luxury travel membership club, claiming to provide members with the experience of traditional high society parties and vacations. The founders are not true scions, but they have been fascinated since childhood by the portrayal of a wealthy life in shows like "Gossip Girl" and have a special fondness for old-school gentlemanly style elements like "wearing a tuxedo to a nightclub."

Through platforms like Instagram, they have crafted a carefully designed "old-money illusion," attracting affluent millennials who also crave this experience to sign up for high-priced travel activities. The club has hosted balls at a 16th-century palace on Lake Como, provided helicopter transfers to members to ski and taste caviar and champagne in St. Moritz. These scenes sound like European aristocratic gatherings of the last century, but the participants are the new generation of rich individuals. Tuxedo Society's success indicates that "old money" as a cultural commodity can now be packaged and sold by new creative brands. This aligns with some marketing efforts in the Web3/crypto field—the product they sell is future technology, but the story they tell is nostalgic.

What Does Modern Robin Hood Want?

Overall, in today's emerging technology marketing, the "old money style" is becoming a noteworthy aesthetic trend. Robinhood's bold embrace of old money aesthetics this time is largely based on its judgment of its user base and industry trends, making it a natural move. In terms of its effect, it has indeed sparked widespread discussion in the industry, truly a successful application of old money aesthetics in fintech marketing.

In the Fintech field, some companies have also tried to incorporate a luxurious and understated tone into their marketing to reach a more upscale clientele. For example, some online brokers and neobanks have launched metal credit cards and premium membership services, with ads often mimicking the style of a private bank: black backgrounds, subtly luxurious textures, scenes of elite lifestyles, and so on.

In an ad for Robinhood Gold advanced accounts launched in September 2024, Robinhood itself emphasized giving ordinary investors "products and rates that only super-rich individuals could enjoy in the past." This ad adopts a newly upgraded visual system, presenting Robinhood in a simple and dignified color scheme and refined premium imagery, shaping Robinhood as a platform that provides "exclusive treatment for high-net-worth individuals."

Robinhood's "old money style" visual strategy at the latest press conference is a carefully planned multidimensional strategy. From a brand communication perspective, it dramatically conveys the company's image transformation from a rebellious upstart to a mature mainstream player; from a consumer psychology perspective, it captures people's trust and longing for traditional wealth symbols, creating a unique sense of identity; in terms of fintech positioning, it follows its user base's upgrade and hints at the direction of business extension to high-net-worth services; looking at historical cases, this aesthetic reversal of using the old to highlight the new has been proven effective under specific conditions.

Choosing Cannes as the venue for the press conference cleverly anchors all of this on the coordinates of internationalization and cultural heritage, adding a colorful touch to Robinhood's global ambitions. It can be foreseen that Robinhood's future marketing and products will continue to revolve around the theme of "bestowing the privileges of old wealth to the new generation"—inheriting the essence of traditional finance while persisting in financial democratization. This "old money style" press conference is a microcosm of this strategy, and the underlying logic and thinking behind it are enough to provide many insights to the industry.

Welcome to join the official BlockBeats community:

Telegram Subscription Group: https://t.me/theblockbeats

Telegram Discussion Group: https://t.me/BlockBeats_App

Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/BlockBeatsAsia