APIASF AND WONG FU PRODUCTIONS FINANCIAL LITERACY VIDEO
SURPASSES ONE MILLION VIEWS
Sponsored by Wells Fargo, the Social Media Video for Asian American and
Pacific Islander Students Reaches an Important Milestone
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 11, 2013) – The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the nation’s largest non-profit college scholarship provider for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and Wells Fargo announced that their video, made in collaboration with Wong Fu Productions, has reached more than 1 million views on YouTube. The video, titled “Save the Date”, was developed as a tool to raise awareness of financial literacy for Asian American college students.
The comedic video, which provides a look at two young adults who go on a date without saving enough money, debuted at the APIASF Jump Start College Tour at Georgia State University on September 14 as part of a broader initiative to help connect students to money management and financial literacy resources. Since the event, the video has been widely distributed through Wong Fu’s YouTube channel ( and has been shared by students across various social media platforms.
“Building on our long-standing partnership with APIASF, we are pleased to see such an overwhelming response to this video among Asian American and Pacific Islander students” said Nancy Wong, head of Wells Fargo’s Asian Segment Strategy. “As the AAPI population continues to be the fastest growing community of color, this collaboration with APIASF and Wong Fu is one of the best ways for us to help ensure that students have access to the important money management and financial literacy information that they need.”
The development of the video was based on the results of a financial literacy survey completed by APIASF’s scholarship recipients. The survey provided insight about how students look for financial advice, where they are likely to spend extra money and what concerns them most when it comes to finances. The responses shaped the theme and messaging for the final product to help the video resonate with Asian American and Pacific Islander students.
Wong Fu Productions said, “It was great to be able to work with APIASF and Wells Fargo. We’re excited that the ‘Save the Date’ video has been viewed over a million times! When APIASF first approached us with the idea to create a PSA about managing personal finances, we immediately had a few funny ideas that we thought would be relatable to our viewers. We’re very pleased with how the video turned out and want to give a special thank you to everyone that watched it.”
“I am excited to see the impact that the video has on our students in connecting them with important financial information in a way that is fun and engaging,” said Neil Horikoshi, APIASF president and executive director. “Not only has this been a great opportunity for students to learn more about financial literacy resources, but it has helped AAPI students learn more about APIASF and our scholarship programs. With so many AAPI students facing financial barriers to higher education, this project has helped to further our work making a difference for the community.”
Wells Fargo is a founding member of APIASF and has donated nearly $1.5 million since 2003 to help increase access to higher education for AAPI students. Through the generous support of Wells Fargo, APIASF launched the Jump Start College Tour series earlier this year that targets the nation’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) that enroll more than 40 percent of all AAPI undergraduates nationally. These events provide students with the information needed to identify the resources that can help support their pursuit of higher education, to anticipate career trends, strengthen their money management skills, leverage their personal networks, improve their professional communications skills and build their personal brand.
For more information, visit APIASF’s website at apiasf.org. For free money management resources visit handsonbanking.org and wellsfargo.com/financial-education. Also, follow APIASF on Facebook (www.facebook.com/apiasf) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/apiasf).
About APIASF
Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). APIASF works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and will ultimately contribute to a vibrant America. Since 2003, APIASF has distributed more than $70 million in scholarships to deserving AAPI students. APIASF manages three scholarship programs: APIASF’s general scholarship, the APIASF Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander – Serving Institutions scholarship program, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.5 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, and the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2013 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. In 2012, the Company invested $315.8 million in grants to 19,500 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.5 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at blogs.wellsfargo.com.
