A showcase of 11 different creative marketing initiatives from banks and credit unions around the world.

Citi – “Kinda The Same Thing”

Someone snapped a photo of this transit ad from Citi. The bank can certainly benefit from a little lighthearted humor right now.

Three Rivers FCU – “Happy Dog”

This 30-second TV spot, made specifically to air during the 2010 Superbowl, involves a clever pairing between the soundtrack and visuals: a dog puts his head out of a car window and his gums flap in the wind to a victorious operetic performance. It’s fun to watch. Agency: Weber Marketing Group.

THREE RIVERS CREDIT UNION – “LUCKY DOG”

Keesler FCU – “Money Talks”

Keesler had the opportunity to teach financial education at Biloxi High School. To support the effort, agency Raoust + Partners created “Money Talks,” a Gen-Y style financial literacy program including a letter to parents, wearables, posters, pamphlets, and stickers.

St. George Bank – “Big Enough, Small Enough”

In this brand ad campaign for one of Australia’s larger financial instituions, St. George depicts itself as a “big bank,” something that has been out of vogue lately. The message: “Just because you’re big, doesn’t mean you have to act like it.”

ST. GEORGE BANK – “BIG ENOUGH, SMALL ENOUGH”

Bucks First FCU – “Violent & Awesome Commercial”

This Pennsylvania credit union teamed with internet sensations Rhett & Link (formerly of Alka Seltzer fame) to create an online commercial that must be seen to be to be believed. The video opens with a guy wearing a deer — err, make that a “buck” — costume getting hit by a car. The concientious motorists take the wounded buck to Bucks First FCU because they “treat bucks right.” Get it? The 90-second pun-o-rama has been viewed over 365,000 times with an average rating of 4.5 start (out of 5). Some observers in the financial industry have heralded the spot as an online marketing and social media triumph deluxe, while others have wondered if the video sends the right message about the credit union’s level of professionalism and financial acumen. What do you think?

BUCKS FIRST FCU – “VIOLENT & AWESOME COMMERCIAL”

Missouri Bank – Website

The first thing you should notice is how clean and refreshingly uncluttered the site is — markedly unbanklike. Then there is the interactive wall of testimonials with pictures and quotes from 75 different bank customers right on the homepage. This is one of the more interesting bank websites you’ll see.

Community Savings – “Piece of the Pie”

In Canada, it’s quite common for credit unions to give some of their profits back to members as “patronage dividends.” Promoting them the way Community Savings did prior to its merger with Servus is not common, however. The credit union boxed pies and printed messages on napkins encouraging everyone to “get their piece of the pie.” It’s a fresh take on what is arguably the hardest working pun in the financial industry.

ANZ – “Fraud Squad”

Australian Bank ANZ (pronounced “a-n-zed”) debuts a pair of spots about fraud, unauthorized online purchases and its “Fraud Money-Back Guarantee.” The spots portray the bank’s fictional Fraud Squad as a ridiculously zealous group with some wildly innovative (if not impractical) ideas for how to keep customers safe. The five-week campaign is supported by outdoor, online and ATM marketing. Agency: DDB Melbourne.

ANZ – FRAUD SQUAD “HELIUM GAS”

ANZ – FRAUD SQUAD “AIRBAG”

Department of Commerce FCU – “Auto Loans”

Agency Raoust + Partners turned what could have been just another boring auto loan product promotion into something visually interesting by drawing on car-related imagery. The checkered flag, chrome lettering and dashboard gauges are nice touches.

Golden 1 Credit Union – “No Bailouts.”

Many banks and credit unions have been quite comfortable — and arguably successful — celebrating a single point of differentiation: they are too small for bailouts. While the heyday of headlines like “Bailouts are for boats” and anti-jet banners has passed, there’s enough residual consumer resentment towards the financial industry that the bailout-bashing angle still has some traction.

Pinnacle Bank – “Move Your Money”

Like many community banks, Pinnacle wanted to make the most of Huffington’s “Move Your Money” populist campaign, so they had their creative partners at Haberfeld make this email marketing piece. The message isn’t promotional nor self-serving in any way. It simply invites people to check out the “Move Your Money” website and viral YouTube video. Lots of banks looked to capitalize on Huffington’s efforts, but not that many were willing to help promote like this.

Union Bank – “Rock Solid”

A blogger snapped this photo of a “rock” on the teller counters at Union Bank. It turns out the “rock” was made of soft foam. “About as solid as a marshmallow,” the blogger wryly notes.

Allianz – Elevator

An elevator wrapped in graphics that look like a bank vault. The sign inside the elevator reads (translaätion): “Keep your money in a safe place.” Clever out-of-home advertising.

Visa – “Anthem”

Every two years, TV viewers around the world are treated to some of the most spectacular, inspiring ads ever created. The cinematography, the story lines, the editing are all extraordinary. Unfortunately, most of these ads don’t promote the companies who paid millions to produce and air them. They only seem to build the Olympic brand, such this beautiful mintue-long spot for the 2010 Winter Olympics from Visa.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the ad that talks about themes like “imagination,” “spirit,” “precision,” “speed,” “grace” and “magic,” concepts that seem markedly unrelated to either Visa or banking. It’s almost like a PSA for the Olympics: “This feel-good moment of unity and celebration is brought to you by…Visa! More People Go With Visa.”

You may prefer watching this kind of spot versus an ad for something like “Head On, apply directly to the forehead,” but you’ll quickly forget it was Visa who made it once you see a dozen other advertisers trot out their similarly commercialized celebrations of Olympic spirit and pride. You can see another gorgeous Visa spot for the Winter Olympics here.

SunTrust – “Swap a Solid” Facebook Application

SunTrust Bank recently launched Swap a Solid, a Facebook application that provides users with a forum for exchanging goods and services with their Facebook friends. At the Facebook app, you can “Request a Solid,” or view “Solid Requests.” The Swap a Solid name harkens back to the bank’s current ad slogan, “Live Solid,” although some people might think it’s disgusting to “swap a solid” with anyone other than their spouse.

Standard Bank – “Mr. HIV”

Standard Chartered, a bank serving Asia, Africa and the Middle East, made a pledge to the Clinton Global Initiative to educate one million people about the prevention and spread of HIV & AIDS by 2010. To achieve this, they commissioned an animated short film that chronicles a “Mr. HIV,” a personified virus looking for a job so he can destroy the human body. The script is entertaining. The CG is comparable to a Pixar production. As far as public health PSAs go, you can’t get much better. You can watch the whole series here.

Deutsche Bank – Greenhouse Gases Widget

Deutsche Bank recently launched a free widgetized version of its “Carbon Counter,” a landmark digital billboard in New York City which displays the running total of long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The widget comes as part of the bank’s broader campaign to raise public awareness of climate change and encourage investment. (A widget is a downloadable, stand-alone application that can be embedded into an end-user’s web page or desktop.) It’s very interesting to see a bank commit itself so strongly to one side of a political hot potato.

Innovations FCU – “Jingle Bells Lip Dub”

You’re probably burned out on the holidays, but this video is too good to pass up. It’s a singing, dancing lip-synch of a techno version of “Jingle Bells.” The choreography involves the credit union’s entire staff — some 35+ people — in one, single 3-minute take. It is toe-tapping fun, festive and well-produced, yet not so slick that it feels expensive or pretentious. Hat tip to Christopher Stevenson at CUES who was the first to spot the video, and kudos to agency Raoust+Partners, who reportedly produced it.

Belvoir Credit Union – Brand Image & Identity

When Fort Belvoir Credit Union decided it was time to drop the “Fort” from its name, they turned to Third Degree Advertising for a new brand image and identity that is decidedly unmilitaristic.

Capitec – Simplicity

This minute-long TV spot features CG animation with a narrator in a virtual world who describes a bank that is unbelievably perfect. Quite frankly, it sounds too good to be true. The spot ends with the tagline, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”