Comments on: [This Post Is Encrypted for Your Protection]

By: The Financial Brand » Blog Archive » Hopefully you didn’t get this bank’s cheap gifts

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:51:29 +0000

[...] Earlier this year, First Bank ran a campaign about “Secure Online Banking.” [...]

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:28:25 +0000

Thanks for the comment Morriss.

The asterisks ad is the first brand-building ad I’ve ever seen that didn’t use any copy. It’s like using greek (a typesetting term for placeholder copy).

There are a lot of different moods, messages and styles used in this campaign. The TV spots, print ads and billboards dwell on security, but all use different visual- and story-telling devices. The posters use graphs and talk about helping people “understand their money.”

By: Morriss Partee

Morriss Partee — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:15:58 +0000

I think the first print ad that you’ve shown here is horrible execution of a good idea. When I look at that headline, ALL that I can think of is that the bank gives you *nothing* but asterisks, meaning fine-print legalese. If you want the viewer to think those asterisks mean encryption, and not fine print, you must make it look like a web text entry box, therefore this ad is teh FAIL. What they got instead makes me want to avoid this bank like the plague. Similarly, the billboards obscuring national icons don’t say “security” in any way to me, and give a very negative feeling. The only good execution shown here is the drive-up tube on a street lamp pole. THAT one is brilliant.

By: Jeffry Pilcher

Jeffry Pilcher — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:26:37 +0000

Thanks for the correction weeblo. Much appreciated!

By: weeeblo

weeeblo — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:24:11 +0000

Interesting read, but I’m submitting a quick correction . Harry Smith is not the CEO/President of FirstBank Holding Company (www.efirstbank.com based in Lakewood, Colorado), who is the subject of the advertising campaign you’ve mentioned. Harry is with a different First Bank (www.therespowerinone.com based out of Northern Virginia). John Ikard is the CEO/President of FirstBank Holding Company. Needless to say, there are lots of unrelated First Banks across the country!