Coronation Fund Managers Relaunches 'Trust Is Earned' Campaign with Ogilvy, Number 10 and Carbon Films Amid Rising Misinformation Concerns

In an age of deepfakes, misinformation and digitally manipulated realities, certainty is becoming increasingly difficult to find. People are questioning what they read, what they watch and, increasingly, what they believe. Against this backdrop, Coronation Fund Managers has launched the latest evolution of its long-running 'Trust is Earned' platform: a contemporary campaign that explores what trust means in a world where it can no longer be assumed.

Developed in partnership with Ogilvy South Africa, Number 10 Creative Consultancy, and Carbon Films, the multi-channel campaign responds to a growing trust deficit across institutions, media and digital platforms. In doing so, it brings renewed relevance to a principle that has guided Coronation since its founding in 1993: trust is not something a business can claim. It must be earned, consistently, over time.

"We started with a simple truth: people are finding it harder to know what to trust," says Ahmed Tilly, creative consultant and founder of Number 10. "People are questioning what they read, what they watch and, increasingly, what they believe. Rather than shying away from that tension, we leaned into it through relatable, human moments in which trust is tested. In a world where trust can no longer be assumed, the question becomes: who do you trust with your financial future?"

That question is especially consequential when it comes to investing. Markets change, headlines compete for attention and short-term noise can often obscure long-term value. For more than three decades, Coronation has sought to earn its clients' confidence through deep research, independent thinking and an investment approach focused on understanding what an asset could be worth over time.

"Trust is the fundamental premise on which we have built our business over the past 33 years," says Anton Pillay, chief executive officer of Coronation Fund Managers. "It underpins every relationship we have with our clients, partners and stakeholders. As markets and the world around us continue to change, earning and maintaining that trust remains our highest priority." For Ogilvy South Africa, the challenge was to take an established brand truth and make it feel urgently relevant to the world people are living in today.

"We saw a powerful opportunity to double down on Coronation's enduring positioning line," says Nkanyezi Masango, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Cape Town. "There is so much depth to explore in what 'Trust is Earned' actually means to people in their daily lives. In a world where credibility is increasingly contested, we wanted to move beyond the conventions of financial advertising and tell a more human story. The campaign uses familiar moments where trust is tested to remind people that genuine credibility is not built through claims, but through actions. That's as true for individuals as it is for brands."

The resulting campaign reflects a world in which appearances can be manipulated, information can be questioned and certainty can feel increasingly elusive. Yet its central message remains remarkably simple: while the world may have changed, the standard for earning trust has not. Trust is still built through consistency, accountability and actions over time. For Coronation, the campaign gives contemporary expression to a belief embedded in the organisation's culture and long-term investment philosophy.

"While this film feels current and accurately reflects the world we live in today, what sits behind it is deeply rooted in Coronation's DNA," says Wisahl Ganief, group head of marketing at Coronation. "Earning trust isn't a one-time achievement. It's a continuous commitment, reflected in the decisions we make and the responsibility we carry on behalf of our clients." The campaign will roll out across major South African television networks, digital platforms, premium outdoor media and radio.

Click here to watch the 'Trust is Earned' campaign film. The campaign will roll out across major South African television networks, digital platforms, premium outdoor media, and radio.