This large portfolio of financial marketing initiatives covers 19 projects from banks and credit unions around the world, including 32 illustrations, 9 videos and a few online advertising examples.

Rabo Plus – Sex Appeal

World-renowned ad agency Ogilvy came up with this racy spot for RaboPlus (now RaboDirect) and their 8% term deposit back in 2007. The Australian Advertising Standards Authority rejected a complaint accusing the bank of using sex in a gratuitous manner. Australian law prohibits advertisers from portraying people in such a way as to use sex appeal simply to draw attention to an unrelated product.

RABOPLUS – MY NUMBERS CHANGED

Ummm, what does a gorgeous woman getting dressed have to do with an 8% term deposit?

Pacific Service Credit Union – Postcard PURLs

This postcard campaign utilized PURLs (Personalized URLs) — custom, personalized websites unique to each addressee, such as www.SarahCeccin.goPSCU.com as shown in the example. The design style is decidedly unstuffy.

PACIFIC SERVICE CREDIT UNION – PURLS
The credit union offered a $50 iTunes gift card with new checking accounts.

Umpqua Bank – Welcome Gift

To promote the grand opening of its latest branch, Umpqua Bank sent a street team out to deliver small plants to people’s doorsteps. The lead message on the note: “It’s not every day that you get something nice from a bank.” This was accompanied by an invitation to the branch “to say hello, pickup a free bag of Umpqua Blend coffee and bank like you live.”

UMPQUA BANK – WELCOME GIFT

The houseplant delivered to houses announcing Umpqua’s newest location. The little round card stuck in dirt includes a map to the branch. The plastic plant marker includes the contact info of the business where the plant was purchased.

FirstBank – Kiddy Treadmill

TDA Advertising & Design came up with this clever airport ad. A round, plexiglass poster with the headline, “Tire your kids out so they sleep on the plane,” rotates 360°. Kid-sized handprints appear three-and-a-half feet above the floor. Above them, the instructions, “Have children place hand here.” The signboard makes one revolution every 30 seconds. The advertising is intended to “amuse and befriend” traveling parents, the agency said. It’s a great example of how consideration should always be made for the media and context in which an ad run.

1STBANK – AIRPORT KIDDY TREADMILL

Eaton Family Credit Union – Credit Unions by the Numbers

Credit unions bicker all the time about what a national campaign might look like in their industry. It’s a red herring. This simple video captures much of what credit unions could be communicating in a collective, cohesive, coordinated nationwide campaign, and does so in a mere 51 seconds. The data presented here is much more compelling and relevant to consumers than the oft-recited touchy-feely themes preached by the movement’s more devout clerics. This is what you call “bottom-line marketing.”

EATON CREDIT UNION – CREDIT UNIONS BY THE NUMBERS

Eaton Family didn’t make this video, but it sure makes an effective, logical case to join a credit union — any credit union. Would it be better with a different soundtrack?

People’s Trust Credit Union – Flash Annual Report

The credit union made an online, interactive, animated cartoon of its 2009 annual report. More people would read annual reports if they were like this (i.e., less dull). For dry financial data, this Flash-based presentation is about as fun as it gets…that is, without undermining the institution’s message or sense of professionalism.

PEOPLE’S TRUST – FLASH ANNUAL REPORT

Key members of the credit union’s senior leadership have been turned into cartoon characters in this interactive annual report. There’s also a cool bonus feature: The website and all of its animations are fully scalable.

Commonwealth Bank – We Return Phone Calls

The Australian banking giant adopted a distinctive story-telling concept along with a new style of black-and-white imagery earlier in 2010. In its latest TV spots, the bank promises to call its customers back (which has some Aussies rolling their eyes with a sour “whoopty doo”), and then takes a stab at humor with a talking dog. It seems like Commonwealth has yet to strike the right chord in its relationship with an American ad agency. Via: The Saatchi Daily Banking Blog.

COMMONWEALTH BANK – CALL YOU BACK

One blogger asks, “Is this what it’s come to? Have banks gotten so arrogant in their lack of service that just returning a phone call when promised is something that separates you as different?”

La Capitol – New Brand Look

Third Degree Advertising developed this new brand identity for La Capitol FCU (pronounced “lah CAP-ah-tul”) in Louisiana, using the tagline “Together We Thrive” (which, coincidentally, is the same slogan recently chosen by another credit union). The new look is comfortingly traditional. The website doesn’t look like it’s got its makeover yet though.

LA CAPITOL – NEW BRAND IDENTITY

LA CAPITOL – BRAND VIDEO
Third Degree created this brand video, and a condensed it into a :30 version for TV.

Umpqua Bank – Sale

Umpqua Bank, perhaps the most retail savvy financial institution in North America, has been pushing its summer sale hard in an aggressive online media campaign. Banner ads appear on nearly every major news and finance website when viewed by people within its geographical region. Keep your eyes on this Oregon-based bank; they are always one to watch.

UMPQUA BANK – SALE

When was the last time your financial institution had a sale? What’s the sale for? Who cares? Consumers will click on anything if they think they’ll get a bargain.

Chase – Picture Perfect Wedding

Chase exploits the stereotypical, white, suburban “dream wedding” in this Flash-based ad for overnight checks. Using only still images, the ad tells the “story” of a daughter who phones her parents because she’s found the perfect place to get married. Only one hitch: she needs a check tomorrow.

Because there isn’t any dialogue, you have to read a script delivered in subtitles. “Mom, it’s perfect, but if they don’t have a deposit by tomorrow, we’ll lose it!” Ack! What to do??? Dad suggests using the overnight check service that Chase offers. That’s what he did when he spaced the mortgage payment last month… The execution feels dated, like a full-color anachronism from the 1950s. “Gee pops, ain’t everything just swell?” “Sure is junior. Now let’s go see Mr. Jenkins about helping him paint his house.”

CHASE – PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING

A soothing guitar melody loops for a full almost two minutes while you watch a filmstrip-style slideshow of a “typical American family” arranging the picture-perfect wedding. If you think it’s a little cheesy, you’re not alone.

BNP Paribas – People know BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas used this series of outdoor posters when it launched its first large-scale advertising campaign in the U.S., starting in the New York metropolitan area. The ads were placed in Times Square and in Grand Central Station on newsstands, bus shelters and phone kiosks. They also appeared in trains and railway stops in upstate New York and Connecticut.

BNP PARIBAS – PEOPLE KNOW BNP PARIBAS

These transit ads are supposed to generate awareness, but are they any more effective than simply running the bank’s logo with a giant “hi” for a headline?

CommonWealth Central Credit Union – Giant Deal

The typography for this baseball-themed campaign is beautiful. The credit union’s tie-in with the San Jose Giants helped generate over $5 million in auto loans back in 2009. The promo won an award from the Marketing Association of Credit Unions.

COMMONWEALTH CENTRAL CREDIT UNION – GIANT DEAL

BofA – Superlative Baseball

Watch this 30-second spot touting BofA’s sponsorship deal with Major League Baseball and you’ll swear America’s national pastime is better than Mother Teresa, Ghandi and the cure for cancer. It’s sappy, maybe even pandering.

BofA – BASEBALL

The script reads, “For well over a century now, baseball has been helping bond parents and children, unite communities, close generation gaps, overcome language barriers, seal friendships, patch up differences, instill civic pride. Bank of America is a proud sponsor of our national pastime, and the opportunities it provides to bring us all closer together.”

Citi – Outdoor & Transit Ads for Rewards Points

A collection of outdoor and transit advertising for Citi’s “Rewards Points” credit cards.

CITI – REWARDS OUTDOOR & TRANSIT ADS

CITI – REWARDS POINTS MICROSITE

3rd Federal – Beer Scene Testimonial

You’d think a financial marketer — thirsty for fun and creativity — would be able to do more with “beer” as a concept. Testimonials are always nice, but this execution is drab and unimaginative. What’s working in the ad? The name, the logo, the monster mug of beer, and the tat on a bald dude. What’s not working? Pretty much everything else, particularly the haphazard layout, awful typesetting and hackneyed message.

3RD FEDERAL – BEER SCENE TESTIMONIAL
If the bank was a person, you probably wouldn’t be interested in chewing the fat over a brew.

InTouch Credit Union – Women Testimonials

In a new round of: 30 TV spots developed to introduce the general public to InTouch Credit Union, members and employees do the speaking. The new spots let members share their stories about getting small business financing despite a tough economy. Both spots star smart, attractive women who seem to have their lives together. Great casting. Agency: CultureLab.

INTOUCH CREDIT UNION – TESTIMONIALS

If you’re going to go the safe route and run testimonials, this is a much better way to execute them than 3rd Federal did (above).

Velocity Credit Union – Loan Billboards

This series of award-winning outdoor ads suggests the credit union has a loan for just about anything, even plastic surgery.

VELOCITY CREDIT UNION – LOAN BILLBOARDS

Always good to keep billboards simple. There’s a rule of thumb that says you should limit all the words on a billboard to no more than 14. And don’t forget to count your name and slogan. If you have to read it, it counts as a word.

Educators Credit Union – Walk This Way

Sock puppets star in this homemade music video set to Aerosmith’s hit “Walk This Way.” The big question is “Why???” Well, it has something to do with a MacBook giveaway. Aerosmith, socks and a sweepstakes, you ask? Why not…?

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION – WALK THIS WAY
Surely this can’t be legal, can it? Copyright laws have to be broken somehow here.

Michigan First Credit Union – Parrot Funk

“Does your bank have a dancing parrot?” asks Michigan First in this 30-second video. It may be different, but how relevant is it? What do you think? Cheesy gimmick or a cute way to communicate the credit union’s personality?

MICHIGAN FIRST CREDIT UNION – PARROT FUNK

Watch this parrot bust a few moves (ala Napolean Dynamite) to a techno soundtrack. It’s been viewed 866 times on YouTube. Did it ever air on TV?

A portfolio of 18 unique, unusual and noteworthy creative marketing initiatives from banks and credit unions around the world. Enjoy!

TD Bank – Sign Spinner

If you must hire human billboards, at least hire someone like this guy. He’s pretty good, and fun to watch.

TD BANK – SIGN SPINNER

Commonwealth Bank – Community Grants

This is one of the more interesting narrative techniques you’ll see in bank advertising, even if it’s a little hard to tell what Commonwealth wants you to know. The ad is for the bank’s Staff Community Fund, something supported by donations from current and retired bank staff used to help youth programs. Each year the bank give grants of up to $10,000 to organizations, and will give a total of $550,000 in 2010. Ironically, the spot (about taking care of Australian organizations) was produced by an American ad agency. The campaign runs until the end of the year, and includes print, outdoor and a 3D cinema ads. It sounds like the campaign letting people how much the bank gives away might cost more than the actual money the bank gives away.

COMMONWEALTH BANK – COMMUNITY GRANTS

Harborstone Credit Union – Bank is a Four-Letter Word

A bank-bashing billboard with the look and feel of a D.A.R.E. anti-drug campaign, encouraging people to “Choose the unbank.”

Star Choice Credit Union – Bank Breakup

A double-sided postcard inviting recipients to break up with their big bank.

Al Rajhi Bank – Counter-Recession Campaign

A biting — albiet artistically illustrated — assault at one’s competitors. Source: Eric Chia.

SCE Federal Credit Union – Join Us

This is a weird ad. It doesn’t promote any product or service, just the concept of joining, even though membership is worthless on its own. The woman featured in this ad doesn’t look very upset considering she is supposedly complaining about banking. And it isn’t immediately clear how the body copy pays off the headline: “When you join SCE, you become part owner of a financial institution owned by you and your neighbors.” So I become part owner of something I own? Also note the use of two slogans, “People Powered Banking,” and “Your Financial Choice in the Community.” It’s ads like these that lead finance departments to question marketing’s efficacy. There’s nothing that can be tracked.

PeoplesBank – Member, Human Race

An billboard from 1976. Good copy in bank ads is a rare thing.

Home Federal Bank – Capital

Holy cow! This bank has 34.6% capital. Some experts in bank finance would say that is about as silly as reckless mortgage lending. Despite having a singular focus for the first two-thirds of the ad — capital, capital, capital — someone still couldn’t resist squeezing in a secondary message about branch locations…along with a complete list of all 15 branches.

Chase Manhattan Bank – Beekeeper’s Nest Egg

The “nest egg” meme has been exploited by financial marketers since at least 1966 when this ad ran.

Isbank – Police Car Billboard

This billboard promoting online banking for Isbank in Islamabad has a life-size cutout of a police car sitting under the headline, “Pay traffic tickets on time without waiting in line.” Source: The Cool Hunter.

Citizens Bank – Happy Together

15 business banking customers sing the Turtle’s 1967 hit single “Happy Together” in a karaoke montage supporting this 2008 Citizens campaign.

CITIZENS BANK – HAPPY TOGETHER

Allegiance Credit Union – Bringing Sexy Bank

We’ve seen music videos pitting banks vs. credit unions before, but not quite this way.

ALLEGIANCE CREDIT UNION – BRINGING SEXY BACK

Lloyds TSB – LGBT Marketing

It’s subtle, but the two people in this bank advert are guys…and they are a couple (gasp!). This massive target audience is almost always ignored by financial institutions. The last line of the ad says, “Lloyds TSB is pleased to help our LGBT customers with their savings needs.” Note: The artwork is an illustration. It probably would have been a lot more controversial if it had been a photo.

Ally Bank – Ice Cream

Another installment in the ever-popular Ally Bank TV ad series. In this one, Ally attacks bank promotional incentives: “Even kids know it’s wrong to treat new friends better than old friends.” It isn’t as funny as others. Ally seems to have forgotten that the kids’ reactions are funnier than the situations/messages themselves.

ALLY BANK – ICE CREAM

Farmers First Bank & Trust – Almanac

For its 125th anniversary Farmers First Bank & Trust produced an Almanac, and an Annual Report, both of which borrowed elements of the visual style of farmers’ almanacs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Almanac recounting the Bank’s timeline and history from 1885 to present was written in collaboration with the Bank’s resident historian,Tade J. Powell. You can see interactive page-flip versions of it here and here. Agency: Sundin.

Deutsche Bank – iPad Ready

One of the first financial institutions in the world to tout an iPad-specific application in its marketing.

BECU – Switch Now or Pay Later

The headline in this ad spotted on the back of an in-flight magazine uses a slight turn of phrase to strike fear in readers. The subhead says, “Join BECU today, get a better deal from now on.”

Seasons FCU – Vehicle Wrap

Take a look at these videos and interactive demos and you’ll swear the future of banking hinges on the marriage of two ideas: “mobile” + “touchscreens.”

Commonwealth Bank – 2013 Vision

Commonwealth Bank, based in Australia, sees the near future of banking built around interactive touchscreen technologies like Microsoft’s Surface and Apple’s iPad. The Aussie bank’s vision includes augmented reality, geolocation, biometrics and mobile payments. “Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime.” It’s not hard to imagine that some people might be banking like this by 2013, but most people probably won’t catch up to this highly urban/upscale prediction until some time after that.

COMMONWEALTH BANK – 2013 VISION (3:06)

PNC – Virtual Wallet App for iPhone & iPod Touch

The app has three options from the main view. You can access recent transactions, a calendar and the “money bar.” You can tap and drag the interactive slider on the money bar to transfer money between accounts, then use the “roller” to fine-tune the amount. You can shake the phone to transfer money into your online piggy bank (PNC’s Virtual Wallet Growth Account). Toggle between day and month views on the calendar, where green dots indicate deposits, orange dots represent withdrawals and red bars warn of danger days. Pay bills with a graphical interface. Search for an ATM or branch.

PNC – VIRTUAL WALLET APPS (1:25)

Visa – Vision of Mobile Banking

How to do just about everything you can imagine involving a credit card on a mobile phone. The video includes a good illustration of how contactless mobile payments work. For techy types there’s an idea for how to move accounts from one phone to another using application on a SIM Card.

VISA – VISION OF MOBILE BANKING (4:32)

Kiwibank – Mobile Banking Demo

This is an understated but straightforward demonstration. It’s interactive, and perhaps too similar to the actual experience to really sell the idea effectively.

ING DIRECT – Mobile Banking Solutions

ING DIRECT in Canada has recently rolled out a robust mobile phone application for iPhones, iPod Touches and Blackberries.

BBVA – Tú Cuentas

BBVA Tú cuentas (“You count,” in Spanish) is a personal finance tool that allows online users to manage their personal finances better, offering friendly analysis tools to better understand spending and savings. BBVA has offered mobile versions for the iPhone, Blackberry and Nokia phones since 2008. This is a marvelous model showing how mobile and online solutions should be viewed as one singular solution, not two separate platforms.

Umpqua Bank – “Branch of the Future”

This 2007 video has become an instant classic among financial innovators. It’s a visionary look at the future of financial services involving mobile phones, computer tablets, RFID chips, giant wall-size TVs. Umpqua calls it “a glimpse ahead,” but the question many years later remains, “When will these innovations become reality?”

UMPQUA BANK – BRANCH OF THE FUTURE (2:34)

An increasing number of frustrated financial consumer are finding out that Twitter can work as a service “express lane.” As the following stories show, more and more people are expressing their displeasure with various companies — including financial institutions (or rather, particularly financial institutions). Banks and credit unions alike seem to be listening. Those financial institutions responding to consumers’ concerns on Twitter have enjoyed heaping servings of praise.

Some financial institutions are providing more than reactive customer service though. Some are actually being proactive, as story #2 illustrates. Can you imagine that…

But all this gushing over the caliber of customer service available through Twitter raises some tough questions about the quality of service in other channels. As one analyst in the financial industry recently wondered, “Why can’t people get this level of service through traditional channels? What makes them feel like they need to turn to Twitter as a last resort?”

For that matter, when will consumers learn to turn to Twitter first? If stories keep circulating about how awesome customer service is on Twitter, regular people — not just chronic complainers and the techno-elite, but everyone — may start using Twitter accounts to get their service issues resolved.

#1 – Mortgage app goes from “months” to “minutes”

After months of offline frustration, a reporter in Australia turned to Twitter to vent about delays in her mortgage application with Commonwealth Bank in Australia. One of the bank’s employees, Derek Jenkins, is on Twitter (@ozdj) and caught the tweet. Within minutes, he contacted her to let her know that the message made him “feel like crap,” and the bank was only just beginning to understand how crucial social media sites were in maintaining the corporate giant’s image. By 3:00 p.m. the next day, her loan was formally approved. And the twist is that Derek isn’t even part of some official Twitter effort from Commonwealth Bank. He was just helping out.

#2 – Bank anticipates customer need, sends DM

A “DM” in Twitter is a direct message sent privately from one individual to another. And that’s what Matt Sparks, an employee of 1st Mariner Bank, sent to Aaron Brazell, the editor of a technology blog after Aaron posted this on Twitter:

See how Matt at 1st Mariner (@FMBCustServ) was able to turn things around and create a positive service experience. After all was said and done, Aaron published a glowing article about the experience on his website. It would seem Aaron’s relationship with 1st Mariner is not dead, and is indeed alive and well.

#3 – Bank of America on Twitter = WIN!

BofA was the first financial institution to provide dedicated customer service on Twitter (@BofA_help). Months after launching the experiment, the bank is still seeing a steady stream of positive feedback — on Twitter, in the media and in blog posts.

This is yet one more example. It includes words like “impressed,” “refreshing,” “courteous” and “quick.” In this case, the guy actually went and sought out a customer service rep on Twitter rather than just bitching publicly (and hoping someone might be listening).

Note: This is now the third example in a row where a customer was frustrated by a lingering issue that required reactive customer service (i.e., “damage control”) on Twitter.

#4 (Bonus) – Credit union uses Twitter to foster dialogue

Churches Co-operative Credit Union in Jamaica (@Churches_CCCU) uses a cocktail of Web 2.0 tools that includes Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and blogging. The credit union says it’s using online social media to foster dialogue and feedback.

“The digital age consumer doesn’t want to be dictated to, they want to have dialogue,” said the credit union’s marketing and public relations manager.

“Digital communication is a win-win solution,” said a representative. “We recognize the power of the digital revolution, and we adapted early in the game to be able to take full advantage of it.”

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To learn more about how financial institutions are using Twitter, pick up your copy of “Connecting to Customers with Twitter: The Comprehensive Guide to Twitter for Financial Institutions,” by Jeffry Pilcher, Publisher of The Financial Brand. It’s 80 pages of strategies, analysis, examples and how-to advice.

Earlier this year, Commonwealth Bank in Australia was harshly criticized for hiring a U.S. ad agency. It didn’t matter that the agency was world-famous Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, people down under were skeptical that they wouldn’t grasp the nuances of Aussie culture.

The hell with Aussie culture, they said. Instead of even attempting a spot that might try to honor the land of Oz, the bank and agency decided to take a huge gamble and made one of the weirdest spots you’ll ever see in the financial industry.

Here’s the concept: A bigtime American movie director, hired by a fictitious U.S. ad agency, makes an  unintentional parody of Australian culture in a new commercial for Commonwealth Bank. The makebelieve spot piles one Aussie stereotype on top of another: Mad Max koalas from Beyond the Thunderdome tangle with a didgeridoo-playing, boomerang-chucking Crocodile Dundee lookalike. The bank’s executives are not amused.

It’s a spot-within-a-spot, where art imitates life imitating art.

When the commercial first debuted, only the first 30 seconds were shown.
To many, it looked like the bank had gone completely insane.
A little while later, the whole spot aired, revealing the bank’s displeasure with the “ad” within its ad.

People hated it. It was lampooned around the world. But both the agency and the bank staunchly defended their strategy.

30% of Australia’s 16 million people don’t like the campaign or the strategy. That’s only 4.8 million people, or about 1-out-of-3.

Now, they’ve got some results.

Mark Buckman, the bank’s marketing director, says that brand awareness has grown from 70% to 95% while simultaneously cutting the media budget 30%.

But Mr. Buckman also acknowledged that 30% of Australia’s 16 million people don’t like the campaign or the strategy. That’s only 4.8 million people, or about 1-out-of-3, but Buckman says’ he’s okay with it because “16 million Australians are a big enough pond for us to fish in.”

Buckman defended the bank’s decision to ship it’s highly coveted $100 million account overseas: “We couldn’t find an advertising agency in Australia that was prepared to think differently about us.”

“We were sick to death of being told what we couldn’t do.”

That’s fine, but is that why they took such a huge gamble with the bank’s brand?

Buckman said there was a fundamental belief that perceptions of 100-year-old institution could not be changed. “In order to get people to think differently about us, we had to get them to notice us and then get them to talk about us — and talk they did,” he said. “We set out to achieve three things — impact, comprehension and likeability.”

Two out of three ain’t bad. But doesn’t “likeability” seem like an important brand association?

About CEO Ralph Norris’s feelings towards the risky strategy, Buckman said, “He didn’t shy away, but he did say ‘this is either going to be a blaze of glory or just a blaze. Either way there are going to be flames.’”

True that.

Key Questions:

• Would you prefer to be well-known by many, but unliked? Or would you rather be liked, but only known by a few?
• Is brand awareness more important that positive feelings about a brand?

Marketing: Blessington & District CU gives a car away at every annual meeting

Marketing: American Airlines FCU gives away 5 cars in ‘Road to Success’ campaign

Advertising: A regular guy notices and comments on Think Bank’s billboards

Gen-Y: Commonwealth CU picks ‘Young & Free’ blogging contest winner

Branch Retail: SunWest CU gets a Starbucks inside its new branch

Marketing: Financial institutions stepping up ‘green marketing’ efforts