Putting dollars towards a great rate for customers and turning to ‘cheap’ 101 marketing tactics, instead of big advertising spend.
Digital bank ubank has kicked off its 'Cheap Ad, for a Great Rate’ campaign, designed to resonate with young Australians seeking better financial solutions.
It follows the bank's recent announcement that it is increasing its maximum bonus interest rate to 5.50% per annum on
its Save product.
Produced in-house and end-to-end by ubank's Studio team, the tongue-in-cheek creative positioning is about the bank putting their dollars towards a great rate for customers and turning to ‘cheap’ 101 marketing tactics, instead of big advertising spend.
The campaign storyline follows the ill-fated social media manager as they employ old-school marketing techniques to get the message out by any means necessary. The campaign comes as research commissioned by ubank revealed the top features that would encourage young Australians to switch banks are more competitive interest rates (51%) and lower fees and charges (49%).
Ubank's creative director, Callam Hanks, said while the company would have loved to make a multimillion-dollar short film with an A-list celebrity spokesperson, CGI robots and massive action set pieces, a few crayons and a highlighter was more within budget.
"Honestly though, the decidedly silly and ‘unbanky’ approach to the creative is part of ubank's overarching strategy to reach and engage with our audience," he said.
"The contrast of a market leading rate in poorly scribbled crayon really works to focus on what matters most to our customers.
“We've really leant into the platform’s style and attitude to continue the campaign narrative across our social media channels. The ‘Cheap Ad, for a Great Rate’ campaign is not just about showcasing a leading interest rate; but about creatively redefining how ubank communicates our value and customer-centric philosophy."
To ensure the message reaches its audience, the campaign will be featured across a variety of channels.
On social media: left of centre trend-led content that throws back to ‘cheap’ 101 marketing tools, featuring inflatable dancing tubes, sign spinners, low-fi aerial banners and black and white paper posters and tear-off pole ads, as well as Microsoft Paint style billboards photoshopped into some of the world’s most recognisable out of home locations like Times Square and Piccadilly Lights, amplified across TikTok, Meta, and Reddit.
In the out-of-home space: childlike simplistic creative features across pDOOH, truck, bike and human billboards at upcoming sports and high-traffic events, and in the spirit of less spent on ads, distressed buys across Sydney trains.
Digital and performance advertising: strategic display remarketing, Google UAC, search and affiliates assist in prioritising smart spending to ensure maximised reach.
Audio streaming: ads on Spotify, utilising voiceovers recorded by the ubank marketing team which lean into a lo-fi ‘voice note’ style - another placement that both creatively and in reality, spends less on the method and more on the message.
Credits
ubank
Head of Growth: Sebastian Paulin
Creative Director: Callam Hanks
Growth Director, Campaigns & Content: Katie Chandler
Growth Director, Everyday Banking: Nic Lloyd
Senior Designer: Matthew Harrington
Copywriters: Jacob Landa & Henry Stafford
Senior Producer: Emily May Gunawan
Social Media Lead: Sophia Berry
