Danversbank Brand Makes Sense with ‘Noggin’ and Fresh Copy

“We saw an opportunity to create something that really set us apart.”
— David Munroe,
SVP/Danversbank

The brand identity for Danversbank shuns the ubiquitous photos of smiley, happy, shiny people in exchange for a unique two-dimensional illustrated character affectionately named “Noggin.”

Noggin has grown to become the centerpiece of the bank’s brand, which features ironic and humorous Venn diagrams, pie charts and quirky messages — things not typically found in bank marketing.

Work on the Danversbank brand got underway in January 2009, and Noggin made his first debut a few months later.

“What we tried to do once we came up with the brand position was to integrate it into everything,” said Dave Munroe, SVP/Director of Marketing at Danversbank. “It really does reflect the personality of the people who work here.”

How’s that?

“We’re quirky, offbeat,” Munroe explained.

Munroe said Danversbank didn’t want the predictability of stuffy lifestage photos with standard, staid messages.

“We saw an opportunity to create something that really set us apart,” he said.

Noggin acts as the bank’s alter ego, spouting expressions that make sense, a deliberate attempt to reinforce Danversbank’s slogan, “Makes Sense.

“Now our employees channel the Noggin character,” Munroe said. “They wonder, ‘What would Noggin say?’”

The agency behind the Noggin concept, Fort Franklin, was showered with advertising awards for its work on the Danversbank brand. Fort Franklin has since been acquired by Connelly Partners.

Danversbank itself has also merged. In January 2011, People’s United announced it was buying the Boston bank as part of an on-going effort to expand its presence there.

The bank has nearly doubled its assets in the last few years. At the time it was acquired, Danversbank had around $2.7 billion in assets, 28 branches and 375 employees.

“Fort Franklin’s creativity and nontraditional approach is what attracted us to them. We wanted our advertising to better portray the bank’s personality, and there is no doubt that Fort Franklin has helped us do that—and to really stand out

It is unclear whether People’s United, whose brand is decidedly more traditional and subdued than Danversbank, will adopt the Noggin identity or phase it out. Hopefully this won’t be the swan song for Danversbank’s fresh brand image.

Danversbank placed branded seat cushions on park benches,
in bus shelters and on trains around Boston. Street teams also
handed out cushions before every Red Sox game.

Sensors trigger a “cha-ching” sound effect whenever a person walks by the posters.

 

Webinar
REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR
Turbocharging Landing Page Success: Leveraging Advanced Analytics and AI Tools
How can you optimize your landing pages for success? The answer lies in harnessing AI-led solutions to deliver seamless, personalized user experiences. Learn more in this webinar from iQuanti.
WEDNESDAY, April 3rd AT 2:00 PM (ET)
Enter your email address

 

This article was originally published on . All content © 2024 by The Financial Brand and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.