New Timothée Chalamet billboard really shouldn't work (but it totally does)

Rarely does an example of perfectly formed advertising come along but we've found an example in a brilliant Timothée Chalamet billboard. Featuring nothing but the actor sitting in some grass, unlike most billboard designs there's no hint of what exactly the the advert is for beyond the brand logo placed nonchalantly to the left of Timothée. And that's the beauty of it.

Created by financial services app Cash App, the billboard is part of a wider campaign that positions itself apart from the way finance products normally promote. There is no hint of functionality – no list of features or services Cash App provides. It's advertising through cultural relevancy, selling on 'vibes' alone – relying on Timothée's brand to promote its own. The styling, star and self-assurance is akin to a fragrance or car ad – the brand is leaning into on those things to make people stop, look and assume they should know what Cash App is due to those signifiers.

The billboard pairs with the advert you can watch below, which is equally as bold. Again, it doesn't show the app or explain any of its features. Instead it takes a cinematic approach to telling a self-contained story of intergenerational approaches to money, complete with tension, character and culture. Those elements come together to amplify a problem that probably does exist around the simplification of how different demographics view money, making it feel richer and more complex than it is – and, of course, Cash App is the solution to that problem.

Timothée Chalamet for Cash App - YouTube

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Cash App is selling a cultural moment through this type of marketing, and it's resonating with many consumers. The below tweet was shared, and the positive comments have been flooding in. For a billboard that should make no sense, people are remarkably onboard, applauding the 'vibes'.

"Like yo we can afford Timothee Chalamet, that’s it download our app," one comment reads.

"Simple yet effective advertising strategy. Creates intrigue and generates buzz around the company and its product," says another fan.

And crucially "they know their audience" agrees another.

But the strategy also works for the brand's actual purpose: "A man alone in a field. He has everything he needs. Cash App," someone else writes in support of the billboard.

This is a fantastic campaign for the market share Cash App wants to own, and belongs up there with the best adverts ever.