“People can now accept
more complex brands with
multiple, distinct narratives
highlighting various aspects
of the brand.”
– The Martin Agency,
about its GEICO ads

GEICO uses more branded characters at one time than probably any other company in the history of marketing. Turn on the TV tonight and you could see an ad starring their Gecko, Cavemen, or the googly-eyed pile of Kash. Or all three.

Presently GEICO has no fewer than six — count ‘em…SIX! — different ad campaigns running, each with their own unique tone, style, flavor and message.

Ask any brand-builder in the world, and they’ll tell you that using a seemingly disjointed and eclectic lineup of ads is the wrong way to create a cohesive, focused brand image. Consistency, they all say, is the key to shaping people’s perceptions and getting your messages to stick.

GEICO (pronounced “GUY-co,” and short for Government Employees Insurance Company) doesn’t just ignore these widely-accepted branding “rules.” They do everything possible to break them.

1 – The Gecko

The gecko first appeared in 1999 during a Screen Actors Guild strike that prevented the use of live actors. In the gecko’s first TV debut, he pleads for people confusing “gecko” with “GEICO” to stop phoning him. The gecko speaks with an English (Cockney) accent. Why? Because it would be unexpected, according to GEICO’s ad shop, the Martin Agency.

Message: “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on your car insurance.”

“Trust Me”

2 – Cavemen

These metrosexual cavemen have somehow eluded extinction while developing a taste for racquet sports, plasma TVs, and “duck with mango salsa.” They are insulted by GEICO’s ad tagline, “So easy, a caveman can do it.”

GEICO and its ad agency tried to capitalize on the success of their Cavemen with a TV series in the fall of 2007. The move made GEICO the first advertiser in recent history to turn a fictional company spokescharacter into the star of a primetime TV show. But the show received overwhelmingly negative critical reaction, and was canceled after only six episodes. It’s a clear case of “jumping the shark.”

Message: “So easy, a caveman can do it.”

“Caveman Montage”

3 – Kash

Starting in 2008, GEICO has aired a series of TV ads featuring two paper-banded stacks of U.S. bills with a pair of big, buggy eyes on top. Kash, who never says anything, just sits and stares at people (it’s intentionally creepy), set to an obnoxious remix of a Rockwell/Michael Jackson song, “Somebody’s Watching Me.”

Message: “This [stack of cash] is the money you could be saving on your car insurance.”

“On a Date with Kash”

4 – Rhetorical Questions

An actor asks the familiar question, “Could switching to Geico save you 15% or more on car insurance?” He then follows up with a rhetorical question: “Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?” or “Did The Waltons take way too long to say goodnight?”

Message: “15 minutes could save you 15% or more.”

“Does Elmer Fudd have trouble with the letter R?”

5 – Talking Objects

Objects causing damage to people’s cars — a pothole, a fire hydrant and the fender of another car — stumble through feeble apologies.

Message: “Accidents are bad. But GEICO’s good, with emergency road service.”

“Southern Pothole”

6 – Motorcycles & Toys

GEICO’s division for motorcycles, RVs and other toys has an entirely different campaign. These ads occasionally feature cameo appearances of the Gecko and Cavemen, but not usually. Most of them are markedly less creative than any of GEICO’s other spots.

Message: “You could save with GEICO motor cycle insurance.”

“Florida Sunset”

But wait… There’s more!

There’s a multitude of different spots GIECO rolls out every year, and no two campaigns are ever the same.

In 2003, Geico debuted a campaign called “Good News,” featuring ads where one character would break bad news to another, ending with the tagline: “I’ve got good news! I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO.”

In another spot circa 2008, a squirrel causes a car to swerve and crash. The squirrel fist bumps and high-fives another squirrel. The message: “Accidents can happen anytime. That’s why GEICO’s here 24 hours a day, every day.”

Little Richard, Joan Rivers, Peter Frampton, Don LaFontaine, and James Lipton are among the notable celebrities who spoofed themselves in yet another series GEICO spots.

“Don LaFontaine – That Movie Announcer Guy”

The agency’s rationale

The Martin Agency has given different assignments to multiple creative teams, along with instructions “to tell multiple, distinct narratives that highlight various aspects of the brand.”

“Once upon a time, an ad was about a company’s unique selling position. But people can now accept more complex brands,” Mike Hughes, The Martin Agency’s president and creative director explains.

“I thought we might be able to build a deeper relationship if we built on multiple fronts,” Hughes told Fast Company.

The Martin Agency believes it has found a better way to do branding, perhaps even a new media strategy altogether. The ad shop has since begun rolling out multipronged strategies for a variety of clients including UPS and Wal-Mart.

Reality Check: This strategy is probably not for you. Most marketers have to spend a ton of money just to make one message stick, much less two (or more!). GEICO spends in the neighborhood of $500 million.

What do you think

How do you feel about the mish-mash of ad campaigns GEICO uses to build its brand? Please take the poll below. You can check all answers that apply. Also, feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in a comment.

Key Questions: Before you take the poll, ask yourself how many of GEICO’s brand messages can you recall? Do you know “it’s so easy, a caveman can do it?” Do you know “you can save 15% or more on your car insurance?” How many GEICO commercials can you recall?

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When Ally Bank was borne from the ashes of GMAC earlier this year, the bank’s CMO told us that “talking straight” is one of the three principles at the heart of the Ally brand. Well then, in light of Ally’s recent $3.8 billion infusion from the U.S. Treasury, here’s the ad they should run…but probably won’t. (Please note: This ad was created by The Financial Brand for instructive and illustrative purposes only.)

Source: ProPublica “Bailout Recipients”

Bank of America is shifting its ad focus from brand to products in a $40 million ad campaign for Q4. The campaign uses straightforward demonstrations to show how simple banking is at BofA, featuring flagship products like Keep the Change, Add It Up and Power Rewards. The overall take-away BofA hopes consumers come away with: “Bank of America helps me get control and spend wisely during this holiday season.”

The campaign is built on three assumptions about consumers:

• People want help getting control of their finances.
• People are saving more and want to continue doing so.
• People are looking for ways to save when they spend.

Key Question: Are people really looking for ways to “save when they spend?” Isn’t that an oxymoron?

BofA created a table outlining how they see their key campaign takeaways aligning with consumers’ needs:

BofA’s stated objectives for the campaign include:

• Demonstrate solutions that help customers spend wisely and get control of their finances.
• Increase and maintain the BofA’s “share of media voice.”
• Continue to rebuild trust and confidence among consumers.

The campaign’s product focus is a big shift away from the brand ads BofA has been running for the last few years. Perhaps the bank is feeling pressure on its bottom line and is choosing a more retail-oriented approach in lieu of what the bank refers to as the “broad value propositions and storylines” of past creative.

The campaign, which was developed by BofA’s primary ad agency BBDO NY, includes a mix of TV, online and point-of-sale merchandising. The digital experts at Organic were also called in to provide support. It is scheduled to run through January 2010.

TV Commercials

The campaign’s showpiece is a series of six 15-second TV spots:

• Chuck shows us how easy it is to earn cash back at the pump.
• Charleen shows us how easy it is to earn cash back swiping her card for holiday gifts.
• Mary Ann shows us how easy it is to pay a bill online.
• Joanna shows us how easy it is to check your balance online.
• Melissa shows us how easy mobile banking is.
• Chris shows us how easy it is to make sure his check is deposited in the ATM.

:15 TV – “Gas”
The announcer says, “Chuck’s going to show us how simple it is to earn cash back.” Chuck swipes his BofA Power Rewards Visa credit card at the gas pump. “Talk about simple. Earn cash back on purchases to pay down your credit card or go into savings. With the Power Rewards® Visa credit card. Only from Bank of America.”

The use of 15-second spots is a bit of a departure from BofA’s previous media buys. The bank usually opts for longer spots — sometimes up to a full minute — and doesn’t often have this many spots in rotation. The decision to use 15-second spots could be a consequence of the economy, or it could simply be that BofA felt it didn’t need more than 15 seconds to communicate its “simple” message. After all, if it takes 30 seconds to explain how simple something is, how simple can it be?

Dedicated Subsite

BofA has tagged its ads with a special URL, bankofamerica.com/solutions, that redirects to the bank’s financial education subsite.

The site has six feature sections, articles, a survey, financial tools and one-click buttons for sharing the site on popular social networks like Twitter and Facebook. It’s pretty robust, and worth a look.

Pop Quiz

The subsite has a 10-question quiz to test people’s “money personalities.” Some of the questions are a little strange, but overall the quiz is better than the kind typically produced by a financial institution trying to classify one’s “financial profile.”

Q6. When I get down, a trip to the mall and coming home with something nice for myself is a great pick-me-up:

[ ] Absolutely. Spending money on a little treat always makes me feel great, at least for a while.
[ ] Sometimes, although I might feel a little guilty about splurging.
[ ] Never. The only thing that makes me feel better when I’m down is checking the balance on my retirement fund.

There’s also a 12-question quiz on the basics of credit, with questions like:

Q1. What information can be found on your credit card statement?

[ ] Your payment due date.
[ ] Your APRs for different types of transactions.
[ ] The amount of your available credit.
[ ] All of the above.

In-Branch Merchandising

1st Bank in Denver wants everyone to know they care about small businesses. To make the point, the bank has bought rotating, backlit displays at waiting areas in Denver’s airport, showcasing business cards from hundreds of business banking customers.

The bank bought four displays total, comprising some 500 different business cards. Cards were submitted by business customers at local branches over a three week period.

The displays are 69” tall x 139.5” around.
They are clear plexiglass over backlit duratrans.

The airport ads are 1st Bank’s latest installment in an ongoing campaign targeting small business customers. The bank ran a series of billboards earlier this year for general services like piano lessons and wedding singers, along with a phone number. Anyone calling the number would be referred to one of the bank’s customers offering the service.

The campaign targets companies of 2–999 employees.

FirstBank is Colorado’s largest locally owned bank, with $8 billion in assets, and additional locations in California and Arizona.

The campaign is by TDA Advertising & Design, Boulder.

An example of the “free ads” 1st Bank ran for its business customers earlier this year.

HSBC has introduced new components supporting its Soapbox promotion, including a microsite, TV spots and an exclusive sponsorship of the New York magazine video section.

The ValuesSoapBox.com (below) publishes people’s comments on education, jobs, technology and bottled water.

The topics aren’t lightning rods that strike people’s hot buttons (like abortion). It would have been interesting to see what people said about a topical issue, like health care, for instance.

Each section has a video introducing some various points of view on the subject. You can read what other people have said, or leave a comment yourself. There’s no more than 50 comments in any one section, and the frequency of comments seems to be waning.

Reality Check: For such a large bank — the world’s largest — running a full-fledged campaign in a city the size of New York, it’s a little surprising to see so little participation.

Soapbox TV Spots

Using footage captured from an event held last month in a New York park, HSBC created a series of commercials where people share a range of opinions on issues like immigration, technology and family.

Three commercials from HSBC produced with footage captured at a live event a few weeks ago. While the topics could be controversial, the bank has clearly taken pains to sanitize the spots of anything too provocative.

“Why does a bank care about what people value?” asks text superimposed on the screen at the end of each spot. The answer: “Understanding people’s values helps us better meet their needs.”

HSBC has been positioning itself as “The World’s Local Bank” for a few years now. The Soapbox campaign is part of what the bank calls “an ongoing initiative to listen to what is important to people today.”

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal criticized the campaign, saying it is essentially a cop-out to share people’s points of view without taking a stand yourself. “There is no way to make ‘values the core of an advertising campaign while remaining neutral about the character of the content,” wrote Eric Felten.

New York Magazine Sponsorship

HSBC bought exclusive sponsorship of New York magazine’s online video section. Twenty videos filmed at the Soapbox event are available for viewing there.

Here’s the latest from Wells Fargo as they continue to rollout marketing that addresses their merger with Wachovia.

What’s interesting about the first two TV spots (”College” and “Dog Rescue”) is that they bear the Wachovia name and logo. There’s no Wells Fargo logo, only a line that says, “A Wells Fargo Company.”

Wells Fargo, it seems, isn’t in any particular rush to phase out the Wachovia brand. Both spots promote Wachovia’s “Way 2 Save” automatic savings program (previous coverage from The Financial Brand here), a popular product that Wells Fargo has elected to retain.

Wells Fargo is also maintaining Wachovia’s Twitter account, rotating in various members of the Wells Fargo Twitter team. With roughly 5,000 followers, that’s probably a good idea for the time being.

Key Question: How long will the Wachovia brand survive? Indefinitely? Why? Who says Wachovia has to go away at all?

COLLEGE
Parents send their kids off to college with
Wachovia’s “Way 2 Save” program.

DOG RESCUE
With Wachovia’s “Way 2 Save” program, a kindhearted woman who
rescues unwanted dogs can help finance her operation.

PRINT AD: KEEP MOVING FORWARD (BELOW)
Here’s the first print ad from the newly joined banks. They aren’t the only financial institution in America trying to encourage consumer optimism with messages like “Keep Moving Forward.” This ad first ran in The New York Times and in other national publications earlier this summer.

WE’RE WITH YOU
A pure brand ad that finishes with the line,
“Wachovia, Wells Fargo and you. Together, we’ll go far.”

OWNING A HOME
It’s reassuring to see financial institutions advertising home loans again, even if
a huge chunk of the population can’t meet today’s tightened lending standards.

TRIPLETS
How to raise three kids the right way, with online banking
and a checking account from Wells Fargo.

In honor of the new season of Mad Men (season three starts Sunday, August 16), here’s a showcase of financial ads from yesteryear. The ads come from a different world than we live in today — before compliance departments saddled paragraphs of legal disclosures on rate ads. You’ll notice how few of the ads targeted consumers. Banking bank then was all about business accounts.

Note: You can click on most of the ads to view a larger size.

TORONTO DOMINION
This help wanted ad promises the “finest working conditions in Canada.” Given today’s definition of  “working conditions” and considering Canada’s affable reputation, it seems like an odd thing to promise. If you were too nervous or shy to stop by the local branch about a job, you could write for their free employment booklet, “The Sky’s The Limit.”

BANK OF AMERICA
The banking powerhouse demonstrates its branding acumen back before the concept of “branding” had even been formally introduced. The ads have a consistent voice, message and style. Some of the ads feature a product promo for traveler’s cheques. Note the Old English calligraphic typography used in this older version of the logo. State by state, BofA has branded itself and the bank of the U-S-of-A.

BANK OF AMERICA
Two different ads for traveler’s cheques. If you liked the cool one from India, you could write the bank a letter and they would send you a full-size poster version of it.

BANK OF MONTREAL
Bank’s have been touting how long they’ve been in business since at least 1935, as in this ad where the bank is celebrating its 117th year. The message may have had value 75 years ago, but these days, as someone on Twitter recently noted, “It only proves you haven’t gone out of business…yet.”

CADDO NATIONAL BANK
This ad must have come out around the time fire and the wheel was invented, because it’s promoting the idea of having “a bank account.” For its time, this was probably a powerful ad, because even by today’s standards, the ad still packs a punch. Notice how the bank includes its capital position.

CHELSEA NATIONAL BANK
The monospaced computer typeface — a necessity in the early days of computer displays — screams “We want you to think we’re hip and computer savvy.” But the illustration says “tangerine dreams and marmalade skies, man.” Who cares? The scene is groovy.

DRY DOCK COUNTY
This is what’s known as a long-copy ad. It seems hard to believe, but there was a time when ads with this much copy were all the rage. Everyone had a story to tell, so they told it. These days, such a longwinded and rambling presentation would probably be laughed at. “Who has the time to read this?” The advertiser isn’t even mentioned until the 10th paragraph, where the bank touts its Saturday hours. Notice the offer for a free picture map of the local area.

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO

THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK
This ad hails from a time when it was considered shrewd business to have underpaid (and underdressed) “natives” do your dirty work.

THE CHASE NATIONAL BANK
Did you know that Chase once referred to itself as The Chase? This ad must have been what happened to the last ad after a merger, presumably between Chase and National. Oppressed natives have been removed from this all-white world.

SHAWMUT BANK
In advertising circles, this ad is what’s known as a “headless wonder,” meaning it has no headline. The advertiser — in their hubris — thinks they are so interesting and important that you’ll feel compelled to read the ad. No need. It probably just said what all the other bank ads said back then: “We’ve been around since 18XX and have helped our community grow because of our unique local knowledge and experience.” Sound familiar?

WELLS FARGO
The gal on the cover of this internal newsletter looks like she might be getting pretty excited about The Branch of the Future. Oh wait, that didn’t come around for another six or seven years.

BANK OF AMERICA
This ad ran in India. It targeted parents of children headed to the U.S. to get their college degrees. The ad pre-dates “no penalty CDs,” so the best they could offer was a loan on 75% of your CD’s principal. Interesting choice to include the illustration of a yo-yo.

BANCO NACIONAL
Is the guy in the illustration paying a monkey for bananas?

Looking to capitalize on Americans newfound infatuation with personal savings, Regions Bank has launched a new savings initiative, most notably including TV ads and a “Save with Regions” microsite.

“SAVE WITH REGIONS” MICROSITE
The campaign’s main visual hook is undeniably similar to Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” sculpture. Even the typeface was carefully chosen to match the pop icon’s design.

“LOVE” BY ROBERT INDIANA
The sculpture stacks large, slab serif letters “LO” on top of “VE,” with the O canted sideways. The letters are red on their faces and blue on their sides. Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” sculpture is installed in numerous locations around the world, but is probably best known as the centerpiece of Love Park in Philadelphia. Originally a design for a Christmas card in 1964, the “LOVE” sculpture was first exhibited in New York in 1966. This particular picture is of the New York installation (notice the BofA in the background).

The microsite has three main sections:

1. Personal Savings Review — After asking you three questions — what deposit products you currently have, which services you currently use (like online banking), and in what ways you are currently saving — Regions suggests what products you might want.
2. Savings Tips & Advice — This section includes three articles, one of which is “5 Easy Tips to Save Money on Laundry.” There’s also advice for people in various lifestages (e.g., “Starting Out,” “Empty Nester”).
3. Savings Game — You get 60 seconds to catch as many falling piggybanks, coins, dollars and APYs as you can in this Flash-based game. There are no obstacles or penalties, just grab everything you can. (The Financial Brand’s high score: $16,631.77.)

“SAVINGS GAME”
Not much strategy to playing this game, but it can be kind of fun and has some replay value. The game’s visual concept — a savings “jar” that catches valuable items — is certainly relevant, but there isn’t much of a point to catching piggybanks and cash. It’s not much more than an entertaining diversion that may lure folks into “interacting with the brand.”

There are a few other sections of the microsite. “Quick Tips” offer more ideas for saving time, saving money and saving for the future. The “Products” section breaks down all the various savings products out there in an interesting system. You may be a “Beginner Saver,” “Intermediate Saver” or “Advanced Saver” depending on which- and how many savings products you have.

The campaign has its own slogan: “Save time. Save money. Save for the future.” Regions’ brand tagline is “It’s time to expect more.”

This ad campaign comes on the heels of Regions last big ad push for it’s “LifeGreen” checking and savings product.

The campaign is the work of Region’s ad agency, Luckie & Co.

“CENTER STAGE”
People shake a piggybank bearing Region’s “SAVE” artwork like a tambourine in rhythm with the bank’s distinct folksy, easy-going, down home jingle.

“FAMILY”
Shaking the “SAVE” piggybank tambourine is fun for kids, grandpa and the whole family.

“GOOD BUSINESS”
This one promises that doctors, carpenters and architects will enjoy remote deposit capture and a free “business financial review through Regions Cash Core Analysis.”

In an effort to get savers and spenders to look at a bigger financial picture, Beneficial Bank is asking people “What would you do if you knew where your money was going?”

Beneficial is offering Intuit’s FinanceWorks free to all customers. The application provides online viewing and analysis of financial data from all (not just Beneficial) accounts. It’s similar to other online personal finance solutions like Mint, Wesabe and Jwaala.

FinanceWorks, powered by Quicken, helps consumers manage their information and accounts across more than 7,000 financial institutions and credit card sites, ensure bills are paid on time (regardless of the method they use to pay them), see where their money is going (including future transactions), and receive a variety of alerts about their financial status via e-mail.

Advertising emphasiszes how FinanceWorks can help you “Spot spending trends. Set budgets. Save more.” FinanceWorks tools let you analyze spending, set savings goals and create reminders for bills.

The campaign’s intended takeaway is that, in money matters, “knowledge is power.”

Beneficial timed the launch of new accounts at both Twitter and Facebook to coincide with the FinanceWorks campaign. The two initiatives represent the first use of social media by Beneficial.

Beneficial defines the campaign’s target audience as married, college-educated adults, age 35-44, who have high online usage and a household income of $100K+.

Ads will run in Philadelphia newspapers, on news and public radio stations, and on various online channels. You can listen to the radio spot by clicking here, or by clicking on the headphone icon (right).

A “Where’s My Money?” game booth will be appearing at jazz and rock music festivals throughout the summer. Players spin a wheel and answer trivia questions as they try to win a Dell Netbbook.

The campaign is the latest installment in Beneficial’s ongoing corporate positioning, “Starting Now,” (introduced last fall soon after the financial meltdown) in which the bank proclaims, “Every day is a chance to do the right thing financially.”

FinanceWorks is available through Digital Insight, a division of Intuit.

The campaign, including print, event, online and social media elements, were developed by Beneficial’s agency, LevLane.

PRINT ADS

BENEFICIAL’S ONLINE DEMO OF FINANCEWORKS

Last October, HSBC debuted its “Different Values” campaign in a bold series of print ads — 17 in total — in New York magazine. The launch was an unprecedented media deal for both the publisher and the bank. Now HSBC is moving into what it calls “phase two” of its U.S. branding effort.

Earlier this month, HSBC took over Madison Square Park (with permission), where the bank hosted the kickoff of its “Soapbox” initiative. The event’s centerpiece was an actual, HSBC-branded soapbox. People were encouraged to share their thoughts on a variety of subjects ranging from immigration and education to fast food and nuclear energy.

HSBC says it wants to “get consumers chatting about real-life values, and for them to recognize that there’s a bank that will listen and respond.”

The bank gave gifts to those who actually stepped up on the soapbox to speak.

The public’s “soapbox thoughts” were recorded, the best of which are being used in an ad campaign created by HSBC’s ad agency, JWT New York.

DISCLOSURE SIGN IN PARK
This ugly legal disclosure greeted entrants to the park on the day of the event. The large, free-standing sign housed a release-of-liability agreement that looks like it was set in 24 pt. type. A corporate legal disclaimer in a public park was probably a big buzzkill for a lot of people, even HSBC supporters.

Johanna Breman Tzur, SVP/HSBC said more than 1,100 people stopped by the “Soapbox” event. Around 335 of them took an on-site survey about what mattered most to them. The surveys showed that “love,” “family,” and “happiness” were the three most common values people lived their lives by. When asked which values respondents’ most looked for in others, “honesty,” “respect,” and “trust” were the winners.

“We as a bank are really interested in learning what drives people’s life decisions and how might we best get at what really matters so we can develop the best products that meet their needs,” Breman Tzur told Marketing Daily.

New TV spots filmed at the event specifically for the New York market will break tomorrow. The campaign also includes radio, branch wraps and transit ads in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.

The digital portion of the campaign goes beyond banner ads, Breman Tzur said in an interview. “We are looking at taking over digital properties,” including forums that will “allow people to share their values.”

Key Question: How come there wasn’t an online soapbox? Why didn’t HSBC create an online, user-generated video component?

HSBC is concentrating its brand-building efforts in NYC because 380 of its 470 U.S. branches are in New York.

HSBC has 335,00 employees and serves 100 million customers around the world.

PRE-EVENT PROMO VIDEO
SCRIPT: Why should a bank care about what people value? The real question is, “Why shouldn’t it?” That’s why HSBC is inviting New Yorkers to stand on a soapbox and share their values And we’ll share them with the world. Because only by understanding what people value can we better meet their needs. HSBC. The World’s Local Bank.

SOAPBOX MICROSITE
There isn’t much going on here. In fact, its probably unfair to call it a microsite.
It’s more like a promotional landing/tracking page.

MADISON SQUARE PARK (23rd Street & Broadway)
What do the little red ‘Ts” on the map indicate? Are they cameras?

Normally when a company like BofA makes a big acquisition, it’s eager to tout the triumph in a big ad campaign. Not the case with its acquisitions of Countrywide and Merrill Lynch. This was different. BofA had gobbled up gigantic servings of leftovers from the subprime financial feast, and, despite doing so at fire sale prices, many folks were left wondering how much toxic pie BofA could eat before falling victim itself.

Throughout the financial crisis, BofA hasn’t been afraid to maintain a high advertising profile for its other business units. In the thick of the meltdown, BofA didn’t waiver with its advertising and marketing efforts. The bank kept its optimistic “Opportunities” campaign running on TV with a healthy media budget, and has vigorously defended its massive sports marketing sponsorships. But the shameful implosions of both Countrywide and Merrill Lynch left wounds on the collective public psyche that were apparently too deep to ignore. So BofA’s Ken Lewis held his fresh acquisitions quietly in the background for a while, keeping a low profile on the two brands.

Until now…

Recently, separate ad campaigns — one for Merrill Lynch and another for BofA’s home lending services — have debuted across the country.

Ads including the Merrill Lynch logo and the brand’s iconic bull BofA
seem signal BofA’s intent to retain the venerable Merrill Lynch name.

While BofA seems intent on preserving the Merrill brand, Countrywide, on the other hand, has met a different fate. The most recent ad for BofA mortgages makes no reference to the fallen subprime behemoth — something that’s certainly understandable. In fact, the campaign’s TV ad seems to take great pains to distance BofA from Countrywide’s ills.

In the campaign, BofA is touting what it calls its “Clarity Commitment,” a two-pronged promise to provide its mortgage customers with (1) a simple, one-page loan summary, and (2) details written in plain language, “so you know what you’re getting.”

BofA’s Clarity Commitment
The one-page summary — “in English” people can understand — is only available on 30-year conforming loans.

This is the first major push for home loans from BofA since its acquisition of Countrywide.

Ally Bank recently build its entire brand strategy around similar themes of “transparency,” “simplicity,” and “candidness.”

Earlier this year, BofA introduced a new “Flat Fee Mortgage Plus,” which, depending on the state, fixes closing costs to between $1,995 and $2,995.

“The Hispanic market
is a key growth
segment for
Fifth Third Bank.”
— Larry Magnesen
Fifth Third SVP/CMO

Fifth Third has undertaken a full-scale campaign targeting a key strategic segment to the bank: Hispanics. The campaign, entitled “Las cosas que hacemos por los suenos,” (”The things we do for dreams”) plays with different takes on “The American Dream” — owning a home, taking a family vacation, etc. Each piece offers tips regarding how to make the dream a reality through proper financial planning.

Print ads use the time-tested “fill-in-the-blank” approach: “The things we do for __________ .” Each ad includes a poetic first-person testimonial, a brief copy block and the URL for the bank’s Spanish-version website, espanol.53.com.

“Baby”

“Piggy Bank”

“Chef”

The campaign, which began its initial debut back in April, will run throughout the year in markets within the bank’s footprint: Chicago, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Myers, Naples, Grand Rapids and Indianapolis.

Ads will run in radio, print, out-of-home and online — all in Spanish-language media venues.

The campaign also includes a series of financial workshops and TV vignettes with financial tips for the current economic climate and beyond.

A comprehensive public relations push will support all initiatives, a press release promises.

The campaign is the work of the vox collective, a full service ad agency, that Fifth Third has partnered with on previous multicultural initiatives.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Fifth Third has $119 billion in assets and has 1,318 full-service banking centers.

Norway Savings Bank has created a series of “colorful” broadcast and print advertising targeted at Norway’s small business customer base. The ad campaign includes six television and corresponding six print ads with a platform of “Colorful Solutions.”

“Each small business chosen to be profiled was represented as a different color in the colorful solutions concept,” said Leslie Evans, of Leslie Evan Design Associates, the agency that produced the work.

Print ads are running in regional magazine and the television spots are also appearing regionally.

Based in Maine, Norway Savings Bank has just under $1 billion in assets.

“Red”

“Blue”

Annual Report
Cover (above) and inside pages (below) that provide more insight into the bank’s “Colorful Solutions” ad strategy.

HSBC has been positioning itself as the “worldwide local bank” for a while now. They are a bank that takes pride in understanding the subtleties of cultural differences. Last year, they introduced a thought-provoking ad campaign illustrating how there are multiple perspectives on any given subject. HSBC tagged the campaign with a special URL, yourpointofview.com.

The “Your Point of View” portal/microsite (above), and the
relatively large library of advertising materials it contains (below).

HSBC Brand Values: The Way We Are

The website serves as a gateway to the current campaign’s creative materials, where you are also invited to learn about HSBC’s brand values:

• Perceptive — We will anticipate and meet the needs of our diverse customers around the world by using our ability to combine our global reach across markets and segments with local knowledge and expertise.
• Progressive — We are committed to continuous improvement in quality, effectiveness and efficiency through team work.
• Responsive — We will act quickly to ensure we meet and exceed our customers’ ever-changing expectations. Management at all levels will be hands-on, operating with a minimum of bureaucracy, giving guidance with wisdom and delegating with confidence.
• Respectful — We will exercise corporate responsibility in our activities and we are committed to the welfare and development of our local communities. We are committed to complying with the letter and the spirit of all relevant laws and regulations in the various countries in which we are present. We will operate the Group prudently, exercising strict expense and credit discipline, and maintain strong capital and liquidity ratios to ensure no diminution in our external ratings. We value long term, ethical client relationships.
• Fair — We will demonstrate the highest levels of integrity and put the Group’s interests ahead of the individual’s. We will treat customers, employees and suppliers fairly and objectively.

Key Questions:

• When HSBC says “we will put the Group’s interests ahead of the individual’s,” (under “Fair”), what does that mean? If you were a customer or employee, how would you interpret that?
• How does the creative work reflect HSBC’s brand values?

HSBC: Different Points of Value

HSBC’s advertising certainly reflects one brand value, and very much so — the first one, “Perceptive.” All the bank’s current advertising materials illustrate how the bank celebrates diverse cultures and customs of people around the world, and that “every individual has their own priorities and values, and that these form the basis of many important decisions,” as the bank puts it.

“A different point of view is simply the view from a place where you’re not.”
– HSBC

“Through our campaign, HSBC challenges people to address their own values and discover what drives and motivates them in their daily lives,” the bank says on its website. “And through this journey it is our belief that what we learn from one customer will help us to better serve another.”

Key Question: Assuming HSBC is successful at positioning itself as “a bank that understands different perspectives and local cultures,” how much does this resonate with the bank’s target audience? If you don’t need international banking expertise, what does HSBC’s positioning mean to you?

This dramatic and somewhat touching TV spot (circa 2008) tells a story of love
and tension between a lumberjack and his tree-hugging wife/girlfriend.

The following is a series of airport advertisements — smart media placement
if you’re targeting international business people, as HSBC is.

In TFCU’s summer promotion, Get Going, the credit union is giving away a pair of Buddy Scooters (with helmets), and each of its 21 branches will award someone a $100 gas card. The campaign is built around a push on toy loans, including auto, boat, RV and motorcycle loans.

One really interesting aspect of this promotion is the “It’s On Us” perks TFCU surprises people with. The credit union’s business development rep pre-pays $200-$300 for coffees at local cafés or fountain drinks at Sonic Drive Thrus near TFUC branches. Customers making purchases at peak times are told, “Oh, it’s covered” while the clerk hands them an “It’s On Us” card with TFCU messaging (see below).

The promotion kicked off with a live radio remote broadcast at one of TFCU’s branches. The radio station hosting the even had pizza, music and other activities.

This is the second summer Tinker Federal Credit Union has done the Get Going promotion.

The promotion runs May 1 through June 30. Anyone 18 or older can register.

TFCU, based in Oklahoma, has around $1.9 billion in assets and over 200,000 members.

Tip of the Hat: To Third Degree Advertising, for developing a multi-channel, integrated marketing campaign with special attention to the creative details.

“It’s On Us” Cards

TFCU often uses to reach non-members in close proximity to the branches at coffee shops or Sonic drive-thrus, surprising customers by having prepaid for their drinks. The piece is a little bigger than a coaster and made from really thick cardstock.

In-Branch Merchandising

Most of the TFCU branches are able to display a real scooter.
Notice the high-quality, freestanding retail display.

Chrome & Metal Extensions

The scooter rear-view mirror extensions are made from real metal bars that reflect the sun when you drive by.

Floor Clings

Placed in the entry ways and near teller areas.

Window Graphics

TFCU commissioned some whimsical window paintings for their front doors in the spirit of the scooter promo.