Dexia Bank, serving France and the Netherlands, has done two of the most innovative things you may ever see in financial services marketing. First, they have targeted a Gen-Y audience with live rock concerts streamed in the bank’s banner ads (more on that in a moment). Second, they’ve set up a whole separate bank, Axion, to exclusively serve customers ages 12-25.

AXION
Dexia’s youth bank, exclusively for Gen-Y.

This idea of a bank-within-a-bank is not entirely unique. For instance, Bank of the Wichitas created Redneck Bank, an online/direct spinoff targeting Midwest mullet lovers. But Redneck is merely a reskinned bank with a lifestyle veneer. What Axion is doing is quite different: unique products, promotions and educational resources exclusively targeted to a narrow audience segment and marketed under a separate standalone bank brand.

By 2020, the retail financial landscape could be littered with hundreds — if not thousands — of these micro-niche banks. A big bank that may be struggling to serve everyone today could be completely transformed into a collection of sucecssful sub-brands 10-20 years from now. Instead of one corporate website, think “many different websites,” all with different styles and different products.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SPONSORED LINK – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The ‘Banner Concerts’ Concept

To promote Axion back in 2009, Dexia created one of the most innovative promotions of the year — in any industry. Axion introduced what it believes is an internet-first: “Axion Banner Concerts.” The bank streamed rock concerts — real live-gigs — within the frames of traditional banner ads. There’s no easier way to explain it. You just have to see it.

First, Axion started with a contest to select 25 young, up-and-coming bands. Then they invited each of these bands to perform live on a specially-constructed sound stage. The filmed concert was broadcast live, and streamed onto popular Gen-Y websites in a complex media plan. Axion provided an “embed” option so bands could easily incorporate performances into their websites, fan blogs and social network pages.

BAND PLAYS CONCERT IN LEADERBOARD SIZE BANNER AD
Click on the ad to play the concert and see how it works or view the performance on YouTube.

TIM VAN HAMEL – “GARDEN OF WEEDS”
Click on the ad to play the concert or watch it on YouTube.

Clicking on one of the banner ads would drive visitors to the Banner Concert microsite, where the public could vote for their favorite among the 25 bands. The winner got to perform a live gig at Ancienne Belgique, one of Belgium’s biggest concert halls, with live streaming on an Axion Web-TV channel.

Axion supported the Banner Concert series with a mix of media, including emails, an ad on MTV, and by spreading posters in music stores, CD shops, bars and restaurants. The Banner Concert campaign was developed by agency Boondoggle.

The campaign’s results are impressive:

• 6,807,442 banner impressions on well known internet sites
• The “embed” option on bands’ fan pages and blogs generated another 43,479 impressions.
• 44,845 unique visitors hit the campaign’s microsite.
• 7,581 people voted for their favorite band, more than half utilizing a SMS text-based voting option via their mobile phones.

The campaign won several awards, including 5 Golden Lions in Cannes. For the Banner Concert project’s innovative use of online technologies, its creativity, imagination and the bank’s utter commitment to a Gen-Y audience, The Financial Brand is also bestowing one of its Breakthrough Brand Awards to Axion. Great work and congratulations!

PROMOTIONAL POSTER

CAMPAIGN MICROSITE
Each banner ad led to a microsite showcasing a collage of all 25 bands’ performances. There the public could vote for their favorite show. There’s a little navigation strip at the bottom of the site with links to Axion, but the Axion brand should probably be more prominent. You might not ever know this was a promo hosted by a bank.

Bands play their concerts on a stage that was exactly the same proportions as traditional online banner ads. The idea to have bands perform — quite literally – within the confines of a banner ad is simply brilliant. Concerts were filmed and produced by Mojuice. The sets were developed by Stakka Concepts.

VIDEO CASE STUDY
A 3-minute YouTube video summarizes the entire project nicely,
including some behind-the-scenes footage.

With more than 54,000 members, over $600 million in assets, and 12 branches in the Austin, Texas area, United Heritage Credit Union is one of the largest regional credit unions in Central Texas. Facing intense competitive pressure from banks and large credit unions, United Heritage turned to the Cartis Group for “a strategic and tactical marketing plan” that would be based on both “primary and secondary research.”

“Its brand was disjointed and lacked credibility,” the agency says about the credit union’s image prior to the rebranding.

“Using our BrandSmart process, we enhanced and solidified United Heritage’s brand, including its positioning, messaging, marketing materials, website and identity system,” the agency says.

Cartis says United Heritage also made several operational changes as a result of the firm’s research.

The tagline “Be Smart. Bank Smart.” is part a deliberate effort to position United Heritage as a “banking center” that can compete with other major Central Texas financial institutions.

The Cartis Group’s work for United Heritage has been recognized by CUNA, AIGA, the ADDYs and NCUA.

WELCOME KIT

UNITED HERITAGE WEBSITE
Ads in the sidebar rotate as you navigate through the website. Ads are contextually relevant, so if you’re in the “Loans” section, you might be seeing ads for United Heritage’s “Skip-a-Pay” option, or their “Debt Consolidation” loans.

BRANCHES
The credit union’s BRANCH DESIGN includes some distinctive architectural statements, such as the tower. They are nice, attractive spaces, but a little light on the branding and merchandising. Architect: Clark Mente Architects.

UNITED HERITAGE CENTER
The credit union has secured the naming rights for “The United Heritage Center at the Dell Diamond.” It’s a large, multi-purpose space for meetings, conferences, banquets, weddings and parties. It holds 320 people for dinner, or 500 in theater seating. It is located along the first-base line at The Dell Diamond, home of the local Double A baseball team.

“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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The Financial Brand sat down with Kathy Hammond, VP/Business Development, Kent Credit Union earlier this year to talk about their rebranding project. The credit union rolled out a new logo, website and brand slogan, “We Make Banking Better.” While the rebranding is mostly cosmetic in nature, it’s a major image upgrade. There are plenty of credit unions with a lot more than Kent’s $38 million in assets and 6,300 members that don’t look this good.

What was the purpose or motivation behind the rebranding?

We wanted to re-evaluate what Kent Credit Union meant to our members, our board and our staff. And also what desires, wants and needs our members have. By combining the results of a member survey, a strategic planning session of executive management and board of directors, and “brandstorming” with the staff, we compiled valuable data from all perspectives of what Kent Credit Union means to each of them.

We also wanted a fresh, more relevant look that was representative of Kent Credit Union given all the components of branding. The new brand and identity is more iconic, focused and contemporary than our previous brand. It clearly links us to our roots in the community (Kent is known as Tree City), but also represents stability and growth. New banks and credit unions are expanding into our communities and I think the brand differentiates us from them.

OLD LOGO

NEW LOGO

Kent Credit Union’s slogan is “make banking better?”
How does Kent make banking better?

At Kent Credit Union, we take away the “fear” in banking. Our members’ funds are safe and secure, and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. We strive daily to make every banking experience a positive one, by providing excellent member service and offering a full array of products and services, many of them free.

We are committed to going beyond simply a financial relationship with our members. We are our community’s oldest credit union and have positioned ourselves to be a source for honest financial counsel; a safe place in the community that truly looks out for our members’ interests. Our new brand aligns with that. Our staff buys into this philosophy and displays it by learning names, taking a few extra minutes to chat when they can, or sending a dog biscuit through the tube at the drive-thru when they see a dog in the car. We’re committed to providing convenience, good rates and low fees, but also to giving members something extra – something better – at every opportunity.

How was the brand introduced to staff?
What are staff being asked to do to “live out the brand?”

Riding Tigers Communications did a presentation to our staff, explaining that branding is much more than a logo or a website. At the end of the presentation, they unveiled our new logo and website.

NEW WEBSITE

We also shared the results of a member survey with our staff to let them know our members’ likes and dislikes, and how they perceive Kent Credit Union. We compared that to our short-term and long-term strategic plan, all of which helped to formulate our new branding and the roles we would all play in achieving our goals.

The best thing about the rebranding is that staff was already living out the brand. The re-branding wasn’t about becoming something new, it was about better defining what we already are so we can communicate it better. The agency met with us multiple times, we spent a day taking them on a tour of our communities and our branches; they met our board, shot photos of the community, met most of our staff and talked with them about what we are. Then combined with a survey of our members, the new brand grew from our strengths as an organization. We never wanted to be something that we are not. Our staff was always making banking better.

Where are you at with the rebranding process?

We started out with changing the imagery on our glass doors and replacing wall posters in the offices, along with business cards and other paper collateral. We also introduced the new logo at our annual meeting to our members, and have had several ads in the local media sporting our new logo. Brochures and other credit union literature will be introduced as we deplete current supplies, which may not be ideal, but in this economy, we must use our funds wisely.

We’ve also done giveaways such as pens, sports bottles, keychains, etc., with the new logo that have been distributed at showcases and various other credit union events.

MISSION STATEMENT & ENTRY DOOR

Last year, Forest Kraft Credit Union changed names and became Centric. The credit union was looking to appeal to a broader segment of the community by differentiating themselves in a crowded financial market with a unique name. Furthermore, the credit union wanted to dispel the assumption that it was only open to employees of Forest Kraft. The name change process took over 11 months from conception to official roll out. Now, a year later, the transformation is complete.

Centric contracted with LEVEL⁵ for its strategic consulting, real estate, integrated design, construction management and branding. LEVEL⁵, a consulting and facilities development firm specializing in financial institutions, worked with the credit union on a strategic plan focused on the best opportunities to reflect the credit union’s philosophy, approach and budget.

Centric and LEVEL⁵ also partnered with Sky Design for the rebranding and identity redesign. “It was a collaborative process between all three parties,” Greg Allen, Director of Marketing/LEVEL⁵, told The Financial Brand.

LEVEL⁵ then implemented the new brand into Centric’s branch environments.

The Financial Brand wrote about two other LEVEL⁵ projects last year — one story about Auburn FCU’s brand and branch revamp, and another about a modern BRANCH DESIGN for Delta Community Credit Union.

Centric Credit Union, based in West Monroe, Louisiana, has $83 million in assets and 11,500 members.

Old Name & Logo
Established in 1937 to originally serve the community’s paper mill employees, Forest Kraft expanded to a multi-SEG credit union in 1996 when it merged with a hospital-based credit union.

Centric Name, Logo & Slogan
The name reflects the credit union’s roots serving the lumber industry. The concentric circles of a tree serve as the inspiration for both the name and the logo. Centric’s new slogan is, “Grounded in Tradition. Growing in Opportunity.” In excess of 300 names were evaluated, from which a short list of 20 were picked. Six rose to the top and joined a priority list for the final selection process. There are currently plans to secure a federal trademark on the Centric name.

Dialog Delivery
LEVEL⁵ calls the Centric BRANCH DESIGN a “dialog delivery” layout, something that “enables employees to better serve members and handle transactions in a more retail-oriented environment rather than traditional branches with teller lines.”

New Centric Website

A casual lunch turns into a massive overhaul

“The single biggest thing to happen to us this year has been the rebranding of our kids savings account.”
– Roger Sundermeier,
FAB&T VP/Marketing

One winter day a few months ago, Roger Sundermeier, VP/Marketing Officer for FAB&T, was having lunch with some of his coworkers. The group was discussing things they wish they had time to do differently around the bank when the subject of the kids account came up.

For years, FAB&T’s kids’ savings account had been the “First Bucks Savings Account.” This account had a huge dollar bill (named “Buck”) for a mascot. The idea was that every time a child made a deposit, they would receive some trinket — pencil, crayons, activity sheet, etc. The problem was that branches would run out of items to give to kids, or the kids would wind up receiving the same item over and over again. How many times can getting a pencil be fun, right?

Over lunch, Sundermeier, along with FAB&T employees Larry Daniel, SVP/Director of Retail Banking, Staci Bock, and Sarah Pike, did some quick brainstorming. They soon realized they had a new financial superhero to replace FAB&T’s “Buck.” They wanted a dog. After all, dogs personify many of the bank’s values: loyalty, compassion, trust.

Cash in, Buck out

FAB&T set out for the local animal shelter to find their new spokesdog. They found a yellow lab/retriever mix that was a little more than a year old. It appeared that she had been hit by a car as she favored her back left leg. “Just spending a few minutes with her, we knew that she was the one,” Sundermeier told The Financial Brand.

When FAB&T adopted “Sheila” (now named “Cash”), the bank made a
special announcement in the media to draw attention to overcrowding in
animal shelters, especially during these difficult economic times.

“We were immediately blown away by the response to our teaser campaign.”
– Roger Sundermeier,
FAB&T VP/Marketing

The bank launched a teaser campaign, both internally and externally. “It was hilarious to listen to people trying to figure out what Cash was all about,” Sundermeier said chuckling.

“The plan was to take ‘Cash’ into schools, nursing homes and community events,” Sundermeier said. “She would reinforce the FAB&T message, as well as be a great icon for our brand.”

FAB&T partnered with the Build-A-Bear Workshop for a Valentine’s Day promotion called “Give Cash 2 the 1 U Love.” FAB&T sold plush lab dogs from Build-A-Bear Workshop — with branded FAB&T t shirts, of course — in branches. The net proceeds from the promotion were then be donated to local animal shelters. After a week of sales, FAB&T had over 240 dogs, with over $2000 dollars being donated to local shelters.

FAB&T isn’t the only financial institution to realize the iconic power of spokesdogs. Late last year, The Financial Brand wrote about USA Fed’s scrappy brand bulldog, Spike.

Cash & Crew

FAB&T has expanded the idea into a fully-blown kids marketing campaign, including a new kids savings account built around Cash and “The Crew.”

“The Crew”
Farley the Pug, Austin the Husky, Barksley the Westie, Andy the Chihuahua and
Tiffany the pink Poodle. Combined, the initials of each dog’s name spell FAB&T.

When kids open an account, they receive a plush Cash dog and a card that is stamped at each subsequent deposit. After the appropriate number of deposits, their card can be redeemed for an item. The first card is redeemable for a plush carrier tote (in either denim or pink crown). They then receive the next card in the set, and so on.

“The hope is to create a ‘Happy Meal’ type of excitement,” Sundermeier said. “Where the kids hound parents and grandparents to go to the bank.”

Cash also sends out birthday cards to kids.
FAB&T has a custom paw print stamp for Cash’s “signature.”

Taking it to the next level

FAB&T has gone so far as to organize its Customer Appreciation Events at branches around dogs. The first one, which was called “Dog Daze” was held in March at the bank’s Austin, Arkansas branch.

There was grilled hot dogs, complimentary pet grooming and pet photography. PETCO set up a tent. Radio Disney was broadcasting live. And, of course, FAB&T had mobile adoption set-up for four separate local animal shelters.

“Never would we have thought it possible that a little community-style bank with 28 branches in Arkansas would have the ability to partner with national brands such as these,” Sundermeier said.

There was a nice bonus from having a pet photographer. All the photos came back to the Austin branch, giving employees (1) a chance to call customer’s, and (2) a chance to cross-sell them once they came into the branch.

“The event exceeded even our wildest imagination!” Sundermeier exclaimed. “The police in the town had to block off streets and direct traffic because of the response!”

FAB&T plans on doing four or five more similar events this year throughout its markets.

“Our employees are excited, our customers are excited,” Sundermeier beamed. “Life is good at FAB&T!”

Tip of the Hat: To Roger Sundermeier, for his time and cooperation on this article, and to FAB&T for doing good by dogs in animal shelters. [Editor's note: I have seven dogs, three from shelters.]

“Change means opportunity. Opportunity for our members, for our community, and for SAC Federal Credit Union.”
– Gail DeBoer, President/SAC FCU

After conducting research, SAC Federal Credit Union in Nebraska found that their somewhat dated, military look reinforced the perception that the credit union was for the military only, even though SAC had been open to everyone in the area for years.

The research also showed that people don’t generally know credit unions are different from banks, why they might want to join a credit union, or that they could even join in the first place.

So the $350 million credit union, along with their agency obi creative, set out to change things.

SAC wanted a new identity that would appeal to a wider, more progressive audience without abandoning their heritage. The credit union’s new logo evolves some central features of the old logo into a fresh, more modern design.

SAC got its start as an on-base credit union for the Strategic Air Command.

The credit union created a TV commercial — one that’s very well-produced — to support the rollout of the new logo.

In its campaign materials, SAC spends most of its time explaining the basic differences between banks and credit unions.

“Hi, my name is Amy…And my name is Bill. We’re members of…SAC Federal Credit Union…Unlike banks that are for-profit and shareholder owned…SAC’s owned by members, people like you and me…We have a say…SAC makes decisions based on our best interests…Because SAC is member-owned. It gives back profits to us…through better rates and services. That’s how I got a better deal on my car loan…More interest on my savings…Dividends on my checking account…Switch to SAC Federal Credit Union…It’s a better way to bank.”

Reality Check: These kind of messages are the general “credit union difference.” If the credit union industry and its leaders could ever find a way to produce a national awareness campaign, then credit unions across the country could stop expending mounds of marketing capital conveying the most basic information about their financial model. Until that time, credit unions will  continue to tow the bulk of the party line.

As part of the rebranding effort, the credit union is replacing its old slogan, “Your Financial Partner for Life,” with “Better Banking.”

SAC has updated its website with an announcement about the changes, including a hotlink to their member newsletter.

SAC stresses that the makeover is not part of any reorganization, and that only the brand imagery will be changing. The credit union’s newsletter reassures members that “SAC FCU remains strong.”

According to data from CreditUnions.com, SAC has a capital ration just under 12%, which is considered to be strong and well-capitalized by any standard.

Key Takeaway: In this economic environment, people seeing any changes in their financial institution will automatically assume the worst. When rates, fees and even logos change, you need to follow SAC’s footsteps and explain the changes, or people will draw their own, fearful conclusions — e.g., merger, buyout, collapse, failure, new management, etc.

SAC says its signs, stationery, and collateral material will be gradually updated over the next year. The credit union has started introducing the new look in an integrated media campaign including TV, radio, billboards and print.

The old SAC website (left) gives way to a much more attractive and contemporary replacement
(photo, shown right). Using the web address joinsac.com, the new site is pitching switching
solely to prospective members. The microsite is pretty slick, thorough and well-designed.

BECU – “Can Do”

Fast-paced, catchy music and a strong message in this well-produced spot for Washington state’s largest credit union.

Sparkasse Bank – “Wishing Well”

Sparkasse, one of the largest banks in Germany, recently produced an extremely engaging and creative out-of-home marketing campaign. They spelled out messages using coins at the bottom of wishing wells. They messages said things like, “Wishes? Rather invest your money safely.”

FAB&T – “Valentine’s Build-a-Bear Plush Dogs”

For Valentine’s Day, the bank sold plush dogs from Build-a-Bear Workshops for $28, then donated the net proceeds to local animal shelters. This is an unusual promotion combining a whole bunch of things unrelated to banking.

First Entertainment Credit Union – “Plastic World”

They built a plastic world to show how a lot of people have been burdened by those tiny little plastic cards they carry around in their pockets; the debt of our purchase weighs us down like a monkey (or vespa) on our back.

Standard Chartered – “Catburglar”

It’s not likely that most people will be able to decipher the creative message encoded in this complex visual. A catburglar suspended from the ceiling tries to steal a diner’s credit card. The copy says, “Standard Bank’s Chip & PIN technology gives you the power to protect yourself from the criminals who might not look like criminals.” How?

Kansas Area Credit Unions – “Avoid Plan B”

26 credit union band together to create these image/awareness ads. Produced by Craig Loo at Beyond Marketing.

USA Credit Union – “Seeds”

Before USA Credit Union got merged away, they sent out a clever direct mail promotion including real live seeds that would purportedly grow “money trees.” What kind of actual plant or tree the seeds sprouted is not known.

[ratings]

Six years ago, Allegiance Credit Union based in Oklahoma City, became Third Degree Advertising’s first credit union client. Since then, the agency has helped dozens of other credit unions and state leagues. In addition to Third Degree’s work for Allegiance, you can check out their latest projects at their website.

Allegiance Credit Union, with around $200 million in assets, also has an educational blog and a Facebook page.

Allegiance People
A messaging series created by Third Degree Advertising, positioned Allegiance Credit Union
as being a really knowledgeable resource for members. The credit union made their own buttons
that each of their front-line employees wear. Employees get to decide if they are a “helper,” a “knower”
or a “sharer” depending on their personality type.

A Silly/Serious Promotion
A recent checking promotion for a Rewards Checking account. The campaign included
teller mats, doorhangers, direct mail and web banners.  The promotion yielded $3.8 million
in accounts, including over 800 Rewards Checking accounts.

Window Merchandising
Allegiance hired a window artist to paint whimsical branch-front windows to feature the promotion.
The agency says it would have probably done things differently, but they seem cool with it.
Throwing some love to their client, Third Degree says it was a “perfect fit, and a really economical
solution” for a “fun, lively, friendly promotion.”

The Mascot
“Earnie the Eagle” is his name (note the clever tie-in to savings).
Earnie is the central figure — literally — in Allegiance Credit Union’s
youth outreach program. They’ve even created a special area in
their branches called Earnie’s Corner, designed to make “depositing
money a fun experience” for kids.

An upscale banking image.

Everything you’d ever want to know about the interior design
of this 77-year old banking hall is in an article from VMSD.

Brochures

Grand Opening Direct Mail Piece

http://hydeparkbank.net

Client: Hyde Park Bank • Agency: Grillo Group • Architect: Florian
Design Consultants: The Engineering Studio

The agency that led Darby Bank’s rebranding, the Kidd Group, says they uncovered one common thread in discovery sessions with the bank — their core values: Integrity, Commitment, Excellence, Teamwork, Energy and Ability. Kidd Group turned those values into a brand acronym, ICEATEA (the bank says it’s pronounced ICE-T), that Darby takes very seriously.

“Our new logo symbolizes both our strong growth and the historical values that underlie it.”
– Darby Bank

The bank says its new logo — a robust and sprouting tea leaf — captures the essence of their core ideals.

The bank also says its overall brand identity “embodies hospitality, graciousness, the ability to invigorate and the willingness to reach out to others.” You can see an example of the old look-and-feel here.

The rebranding effort was honored with a 2008 Financial Marketing Award.

Client: Darby Bank

Agency: Kidd Group

Designer: Eric Shepard

Darby Bank serves its signature sweet peach tea at all branches as a
reminder of the core “ICE TEA” values that have shaped their identity.

https://www.darby-direct.com/

[ratings]

Beneficial Bank in Philadelphia, launched an upbeat branding campaign following the election. The campaign carries the theme “Starting Now.” The campaign includes two TV spots, new brochures, branch posters, print and outdoor ads.

Beneficial has $3.5 billion in assets, 72 branches in the Philadelphia region and 250 employees.

“Fiscal Sanity”
A general spot introducing the brand theme. Not every financial institution posts their TV spots to their website — like Beneficial does — but they should.

“Solar Lending”
In this spot, one of two in the campaign, Beneficial is pushing business loans specifically for solar power.

Four branch posters.

Three billboards.

Three brochures in the new series.

Transit ads — a train wrap.

Full-color brand ad.

The new brand look-and-feel has been integrated into the bank’s website.

Agency: LevLane in Philadelphia.

A print ad obscures all the text with asterisks to highlight the banks’ encryption capabilities.

“We found we didn’t have a brand. People were generally confused about what it is we offer.”
– John Ikard, CEO/President

1st Bank in Denver is rolling out a new ad campaign this month with an emphasis on online security. The creative campaign, targeting younger consumers, includes television, print, outdoor and web ads on sites like Yahoo, Ask.com, and MySpace.

In an interview with Marketing Daily, Brian Jensen/VP, said, “We think when other banks are pulling back, we have a chance to stand out.”

“When is there a better time, when you’re a strong viable financial institution, a community bank, to differentiate yourself form the competition than today, when times are difficult?” said John Ikard, the CEO/President of FirstBank.

The bank has a link off its website to a “Stability, Strength & Safety” page with all the right messages. It’s a smart move.

The Denver-based bank has 11 branches and 29 ATMs.

Agency: TDA Advertising & Design in Boulder, Colorado.

Outdoor ads depict $20 dollar bills with the presidential images obscured.

This non-traditional outdoor ad is clever and creative.

Posters speak to a younger audience’s lack of financial knowledge and sophistication.
“We’ll help you understand your money.”

“Bunnies”
In this spot, a man lays in an imaginary field that smells of fresh-baked cookies and is full of bunnies. It’s a metaphor for the bank’s online banking experience.

“Shirtless”
Some banker rips the shirt off a guy’s back, then smacks the coffee out of his hands.

You can see a couple more TV spots in the series here.

Deutsche Bank built a revolutionary branch prototype back in 2005, something it named Q110. Besides being a gorgeous architectural statement, the branch is one of the most progressive you’ll see anywhere in the world, combining most — if not all — of the latest ideas and newest innovations in financial retailing.

Before you read any further, go to this website and take the bank’s virtual tour. The branch could have been dull and boring and this interactive tour would still be awesome. Other banks have done virtual tours of their branches before, but never one this cool.

There are four “hot spots” you can move to within the virtual tour. In each hot spot, you can rotate your view 360° with your mouse. And not just left and right rotation. If you want to look at the ceiling, go for it. You can even zoom in [SHIFT key] and zoom out [CTRL key].

To make bank products more tangible, Q110 customers shop for financial products in off-the-shelf boxes, like in a supermarket. But Deutsche didn’t settle for a typical retail box (like Jyske or BNZ). Deutsche opted for tins. (See detail photo near the bottom of this article.) Very classy, very cool and probably very few are thrown away once they get home.

But that’s not all Deutsche Bank is retailing. They’ve got windowed storefronts displaying shelves full of soaps, candles, games, lotions, magnets, glass figurines, piggy banks, handbags, portfolios and logowear from just about every football club in Europe.

You can almost hear the bank’s salespeople saying, “What a lovely purse! Would you like a checking account with that today? There’s a discount if you get both.”

Reality Check: Most banks are good at warehousing money, but they aren’t nearly prepared to operate a retail store that includes challenges like “inventory” and “shrinkage.”

The Q110 name is short for Quartier 110, a mixed-use building on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. Friedrichstrasse is a major European shopping Mecca, so the branch’s heavy retail theme and product displays should help pull a curious and unsuspecting public off the streets and into the branch.

Occupying an impressive 13,500 square feet (1,260 square meters), Deutsche Bank’s Q110 is being used as a platform for testing new branch features and technologies. The bank planned on rolling out successful Q110 elements including the Trendshop, lounge, product tins, and private advisory rooms to its other branches in Munich and Aachen.

But wait, there’s more.

As if the virtual tour wasn’t enough, the bank even took their Q110 concept to SecondLife. You can see a video about it on YouTube.

The architectural design firm on the project was Schwitzke & Partner, who has nine more photos of the project at their website.

This beautiful and innovative branch prototype is unquestionably deserving of a Breakthrough Brand Award from The Financial Brand.

The vestibule has an optional concierge station.
The seating arrangement drives traffic left of the greeter.

The lounge has a half dozen sofas and seating for at least 30 people.

A close-up view of the lounge. There’s a full espresso bar, with seating for 6 more.
Notice the library of books.

The Q110 branch includes what Deutsche Bank calls the “Trendshop.”
You can buy various items for the home, family or the office. Oddly, the signs are in English.

Within the Trendshop, Deutsche Bank retails items
from around Europe, including popular sports teams.
The bank rotates various big brand, major label retail items on a regular basis.

Bank employees circulate openly as a sales cleark might do in a regular store.
They present and discuss products with customers face-to-face.

A plasma screen near the entrance shows which employees are working that day.
The headline “Ihre Ansrechpartner” literally translates to “Your Greeting Partners.”
You’ve got to love Maxi’s title in the picture (above): “Produktinnovationen.”

The open floor plan almost entirely eliminates walls, counters and other barriers.

A foosball table? That’s the second foosball table to show up in an article about branches
here at The Financial Brand in the last two weeks.

Tip of the Hat: To Casey Davis, who, in addition to Deutsche’s Q110, also wanted everyone to see this supercool branch from Jyske. Another tip of the hat to the Europeans, who seem to be leading this year’s Branch Design Ryder Cup.

The Bank of New Zealand, now known simply as BNZ, has been doing some interesting things with their brand lately. They’re retailing off-the-shelf financial products – literally, in boxes. They’ve got an intensive mass-media campaign starring a herd of animated piggybanks. And to cap it all off, they just rolled-out a fresh, new logo.

Out of the Box Banking

Last year, BNZ introduced “Out of a Box Banking.” The idea is to make financial services less ethereal and more tangible by “packaging” them in boxes and selling them on shelves in branches.

The product lineup includes MyMoney Checking, Visa Lite and Life Insurance, among a handful of others.

You can literally walk into BNZ’s branches and buy these products off-the-shelf for $5.

BNZ is clearly linking their brand promise to the idea of “easier banking.” Their kits make basic financial services look easy, simple and straightforward. No hassles, and all for only $5 each.

You can catch a glimpse of the bank’s brand strategy at a page on their website, where they commit to being “approachable, energetic and boldly innovative.” Those feel distinctly like the kind of “Brand Personality Attributes” that would be defined in a brand strategy.

While off-the-shelf financial solutions won’t appeal to everyone, there is bound to be a measurable market segment that just doesn’t feel like “engaging in a highly personalized dialogue with a knowledgeable financial advisor.” (“I’m just here for a checking account man.”)

With $5 life insurance – in a box – BNZ is making the product much more accessible to consumers, especially those who might not otherwise think twice about life insurance. (“Oh hey, look: life insurance. I should probably get some of that too.”)

BNZ is expanding its line of kits to include simple tutorials:

BNZ’s expanded line of “pre-packaged” finances, cross-selling additional services.

The notion of retailing financial services “in a box” isn’t entirely new. For instance, Progressive Insurance has a TV ad campaign built entirely around an imaginary “store” where aisles of shelves hold Progressive products in boxes.

“Pig Tales” Brand Ads

BNZ unveiled its new “Out of a Box” banking concept about 9 months ago in a massive, multimedia rollout. The bank’s creative centers around a herd of colorful, likable, animated piggybanks.

“Pig Tales: The Beginning,” a :90 video that introduces the piggybank concept.

BNZ has a YouTube account, BNZTV, where you can watch 18 different videos, most of them part of the Pig Tales series, including product-specific spots for MyMoney Checking, Lite Visa and Life Insurance.

Switching to BNZ is like breaking out of jail.

You’ve got to wonder what the future holds for “the piggybank” in the financial industry? What is the lifespan for this popular financial symbol? Will it still have relevance in a few years? For that matter, how long will coins be an integral part of our payment systems?

Logo

To cap what appears to be a year-long rebranding effort, the Bank of New Zealand just introduced a new logo. It’s replacing its venerated name and Southern Cross with what it calls “a less formal look to reflect the BNZ culture of today.”

The old Bank of New Zealand logo had been in use for at least 20 years.

“Our customers have been letting us know it’s time to make a change,” said Blair Vernon, BNZ/General Manager of Strategy & Marketing, in an article from the New Zealand Herald.

If customers said it was time to change the logo, it’s probably because someone was asking them – not necessarily because people volunteered the idea.

Indeed, BNZ ran the old logo through focus groups. “Testing suggested people didn’t see it as reflective of the progressive, welcoming, warm friendly organization we believe we are these days,” said Blair. He said the warmth and approachability of the bank’s piggies campaign created “a bit of a disconnect” with the formality of the old brand.

The new BNZ logo.

One critic of the new logo said it looked like it was squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste (which it sort of does). But if BNZ was looking to project a fresh, contemporary, clean and casual image, they’ve arguably accomplished their objective.

About the changing the name to the BNZ acronym, Blair said, “We’ve shifted Bank of New Zealand to BNZ because that’s how most of our customers refer to us.”

That makes sense.

But the timing of the logo change doesn’t. It probably would have made more sense to change the logo back at the launch of their Pig Tales campaign, and after they introduced the “Banking Out of a Box” concept. Now they have to rebrand everything with the new logo (including 180 branches).