In conversation with Wyclef Jean, Zara Mirza from TIAA, and Kate McCagg from Amazon Ads: Creating branded music that resonates

Who’d have thought that a rap song about generational wealth could be the hot new musical collaboration by … Wyclef Jean and TIAA? Let alone that they’d reach an audience of more than 100,000 streams on Amazon Music in just 10 days?¹ But that’s exactly what the hip-hop superstar and retirement services provider did for the January 2024 release of “Paper Right,” which included a first-of-its-kind Amazon Ads campaign to help raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy and retirement planning among the younger generation, including Generation Z and millennials.

The unexpected partnership between Jean and TIAA reflects a growing focus on branded entertainment in the advertising industry. Advertisers and content creators have together been evolving their approach to test and incorporate a broader variety of formats, genres, and mediums—and in the process, many partners have seen a positive impact on audience perception.

Amazon Ads recently sat down with Jean, TIAA chief brand officer Zara Mirza, and Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab head Kate McCagg to discuss how the expansion of branded entertainment helped lay the groundwork for the “Paper Right” partnership. They also talked about the vision behind their Amazon Ads campaign—which, for the first time ever, expanded Amazon’s Stream It Forward program to include music content. (The program has traditionally tied charitable donations to the number of hours that audiences stream TV and movie content.) Specifically, for every stream of “Paper Right” on Amazon Music from January 11 to February 29, Amazon donated $1 to TIAA’s charity of choice, First Generation Investors (FGI),² a nonprofit organization that teaches high-school students the power of investing.³ In addition to generating awareness and support for FGI, the project has gone on to garner significant industry recognition—including as one of only two corporate and social responsibility campaigns to be shortlisted at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Amazon Ads: Wyclef, you often weave social and policy issues into your music. What specifically do you hope younger generations take away from this song and from your partnership with TIAA, Amazon Ads, and Amazon Music?

WJ: “Paper Right” is about building a financial legacy for future generations and the reward and gratification this brings. The most important thing I hope people take away from the song and this partnership is that saving earlier can set you and your family up for long-term success.

Amazon Ads: Zara, it probably came as a surprise to a lot of customers that TIAA would team up with Wyclef Jean to release a rap song about retirement. How did TIAA’s partnership with Wyclef come about? And why did you decide to also involve Amazon Ads in your campaign together?

ZM: TIAA has partnered with Amazon Ads for past projects and campaigns, where we’ve seen success in generating buzz and awareness by meeting our audience where they’re at—online, across a number of customer touchpoints. Our most recent launch of “Paper Right,” a first-of-its-kind hip-hop song performed by music phenomenon Wyclef Jean—featuring Pusha T, Lola Brooke, Capella Grey, and Flau’jae—talks about the importance of generational wealth and preparing your financial legacy.

Our goal with “Paper Right” is to spark important conversations across younger generations so that they may begin thinking about their financial futures and retirement now. This message is crucial for a younger audience, many of which are likely to postpone financial planning and savings for retirement. Because of the need and desire to educate and reach a young audience, we decided to continue our partnership with Amazon Ads to reach them in different ways.

It was also important to us that we could leverage opportunities that would generate awareness and additional support for our not-for-profit partner FGI, an organization that shares our mission to retire inequality by equipping high-school students in underserved communities with financial knowledge and tools needed to fully understand the power of investing.

Amazon Ads: Kate, you lead the Brand Innovation Lab (BIL) at Amazon Ads, a team of creatives, technologists, and strategists who build custom campaigns for brands. What made your team excited about bringing this campaign to life?

KM: TIAA’s brand mission to retire inequality is so powerful. We were excited to build on the success of BIL’s partnership with Amazon Music by unlocking new ways to use music to inspire conversations around important social causes, such as what it means to have a financial legacy. It was especially rewarding to see the strong response from audiences at the launch event at Amazon Music in New York City, where Wyclef debuted the song, met with fans, and talked about his passion for the retire inequality movement—which really set the campaign in motion.

Amazon Ads: Zara, we’ve already seen the “Paper Right” campaign generate a lot of audience engagement. Building on these successes, how do you think the project will inform your future advertising strategies?

ZM: TIAA is on a mission to help all American workers retire with financial dignity and to retire inequality. We’re always looking for creative ways to reach new audiences. The release of “Paper Right” leverages music as a powerful medium—something that unites communities and inspires conversation and action—to share our message about the importance of financial legacies and retirement.

The launch of “Paper Right” taps into a new, younger generation than we typically engage. By partnering with up-and-coming talent across hip-hop, we’re reaching new audiences who follow different artists as they rise in the music industry. Amazon Ads helps us double down on this. We will continue to explore different ways of leveraging entertainment-brand partnerships to help authentically engage new audiences across generations, including Gen Z.

Amazon Ads: Wyclef, let’s turn the conversation to you. Your music career has spanned more than three decades—and during that time, you’ve been able to continue to maintain and grow your fan base, even as consumption habits have changed. How does working with Amazon play into your efforts to stay connected to fans?

WJ: I returned to music in 2014 after a few years away. When I left, there was only CDs. I came back to a whole new world. I had to learn—fast—how to meet my fans wherever they are. Fortunately, they still wanted to hear my music. Thanks to teams like this one at Amazon Music, I can tell my fans to ask for me on Alexa or look for me on Fire TV. The possibilities are endless for finding your favorite artists, now.

Amazon Ads: Kate, the final question is for you. You and your team at Amazon Ads went into this project knowing based on research that people actually enjoy when brands get involved in entertainment. Did you learn anything new from your experience that might benefit other advertisers?

KM: This campaign is a fantastic example of how even a serious or dry subject, like saving for retirement, can be addressed in a way that connects emotionally and culturally. By tapping into music’s power to connect and inspire action, and making it easy for people to participate, this campaign was able to raise brand awareness while serving a broader purpose.