Creatively, we wanted to be honest about today’s banking environment and how alienating it can be for small business owners. We promised a banking experience that was “all business, no BS”. The campaign reflected the negative big bank experience and offered a solution through Owner’s Bank’s uniqueness in the banking world. The work featured generic stock videos to demonstrate the sameness of big banks, paired with purposefully bad lip reading that pulled back the curtain to highlight how big banks are failing small businesses. The campaign brought to life the frustrations of the many small business owners when working with big banks and intentionally challenged the status quo of how banking is traditionally done. With a production budget less than $80,000 we were able to develop an integrated campaign featuring video, radio, and social media that ran from April 2023 through March of 2024. This campaign connected with small business owners who are often overlooked by big banks, it playfully tapped into the concern that they are unimportant to cognac-swilling banking executives and called them out on the BS that passes for business as usual for big banks. The campaign exceeded agency and media expectations, driving more than 680,000 clicks to Ownersbank.com, where Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania small business owners learned what sets Owner’s Bank apart and began the process of opening an account, applying for a credit card, and/or applying for a small business loan. One particular spot, the
“Cognac” spot which ran on Youtube, streaming platforms, and other top ranking local and national websites created awareness with audiences and in 2023 accounted for nearly a quarter (22%) of individuals who began the process of opening the account.