Actress Isla Fisher fronts ING Direct campaign as brand looks to become a ‘primary bank’

So a marketing director has just given his competitors a full two weeks notice as to when the full brand campaign will launch. And revealed the strategy.

Cue the ambush.

I highly doubt other banks would have been caught off-guard by this move. More interesting though is the choice of brand ambassador…

“We were looking for someone who was well known but who was authentic and genuine and who wasn’t going to be bigger than the brand,”

Oh, so no more John Cleese or John McEnroe?

And mention Isla’s red hair too. That would have helped get her over the line.

I’m an ING customer and I’m ok with them becoming a bigger bank so long as they don’t turn out like the big banks!

It looks like ING is playing follow the leader with BankWest and already they are talking about bring back the ape!

@campaigncrasher .. so what? This is not political advertising. Banks and other regulated financial institutions are hardly going to try to undermine a competitor’s brand campaign using social or digital. And on what basis would they attack it anyway? What would the criticism be?

As someone who is both a marketer and an ING customer this will miss the mark. Awfully similar to BankWest and also sounds potentially very very self absorbed.

Advertising doesn’t make you a primary bank no matter how you spin it. No credit card or personal loans and a very uncompetitive home loan offer is what’s holding ING back from being my primary bank.

That said the ING outdoor I’ve seen around lately is some of the banks best work. Stands out, simple message that captures the benefit perfectly.

And to the commentator above, I doubt other banks even care about ING.

She sounds constipated saying “ING”

I imagine Leo DiCaprio’s lawyers might have something to say about this.

I have given this some consideration.

It seems to me that there is a choice of representative here; on the one hand there is (by virtue of her own characterisation) a neophyte, ignorant, sulky, name dropping, actress. On the other hand there is an ape.

They may both be comedic or perhaps comical, but I don’t see “Bigger Bank” in either of these example.

Such a pity this campaign”and brand celebrity ambassador idea. To have at the outset someone saying her contribution is suggesting that the button be purple really says it all. ING’s strength has been staying with core business and making it easy for customers to bank efficiently. I am really sorry to see it spending money on this kind of nonsense trivia. I’m sure it won’t provide the gravitas to help it become a bigger bank.

Finding a personality is one thing, but if Charles the chimp was so effective why did you abandon him? Isla might make the marketing department laugh but none of these ads are anywhere near as funny as that chimp ad.

Judging by this press release it looks like Droga’s work didn’t even make a dent. Best not mentioned?

I’ve been a loyal customer for over a decade. This advert campaign so far is crap!!! it makes me feel stupid for banking with them every time I see this on.

This advert is crap. The celebrity depicted is rude to all the customers in line & pushes the comments from so called loyal customer aside to pose provocatively against the ATM flirting with the young guys. Not necessary for the brand & to be honest it is getting on my nerves. Get a new advert asap & you may even pick up some new customers

I find it hard to believe a well established Bank would resort to such crass advertising. The balloon pricking version makes me cringe and do exactly the opposite to Ads’ aim of attracting me to the bank. I would run a mile!