NAB backs the ‘JAB’ in new campaign
National Australia Bank has today replaced ‘NAB’ with ‘JAB’ across various assets and channels to encourage Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and help the nation open up again.
The bank is the latest to re-brand to ‘JAB’ following TAB which also rebranded last week to JAB as part of a social media campaign to encourage vaccination.
Who’s heading to the local once we get through this? Tag your Saturday racing crew👇 #JABForAustralia pic.twitter.com/cvu3xoC7vN
— TAB (@tabcomau) September 3, 2021
The NAB campaign will be shown on TV commercials, billboards and online, as well as on signage at grounds for the remainder of the AFL finals series, and will run until the end of December 2021. The financial institution is one of many Australian companies joining the vaccination push and releasing its corporate campaigns to encourage Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a message to NAB staff about the campaign yesterday, NAB chief operating officer, Les Matheson, said: “Getting as many Australians vaccinated is key to unlocking greater freedoms and protection for our customers, colleagues, and the community. And as Australia’s leading business bank, we want to champion getting Australia back to business by delivering hope and optimism and supporting the community’s vaccination push.”
NAB’s CEO Ross McEwan (left) and chief financial officer Gary Lennon (right)
NAB CEO Ross McEwan has been a vocal supporter of the national vaccination roll-out. Speaking to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics yesterday, Matheson called for the government to provide more detail on how vaccinated residents would be allowed greater freedoms once Australia hit its 80% vaccination target.
Current forecasts from the Australian Government show 80% of eligible Australians will have had their first jab within three weeks, and their second jab by mid-November.
“This is our light at the end of the tunnel. Our communities need hope. Our businesses need clarity, to plan for the future,” said McEwan, who is fully vaccinated.
Australia’s National Cabinet plan stated that when Australia hits the 80% vaccination target, vaccinated residents will be exempt from all domestic restrictions.
European countries have already implemented a vaccine pass, allowing vaccinated people to attend restaurants, sporting events, major concerts and domestic travel.
“Australia needs its own national vaccine pass, providing similar freedoms, ready to launch when we reach 80%,” McEwan said. He added this domestic pass should be developed alongside Australia’s existing plans for an international vaccine passport.
McEwan told the House of Representatives that: “Many businesses are in a state of hibernation, waiting for restrictions to open up and ready to get going again.”
But he remained bullish about Australia’s economic future once restrictions were lifted. He noted that as at 31 August, just over a $1.8 billion in lending was on deferral. This compared to $58 billion at the height of the pandemic last year.
McEwan also noted the growing toll of lockdowns on people’s mental health and wellbeing. “We are seeing it among our colleagues and hearing it from our customers when they call us for help,” McEwan said.
In July 2021, TBWA Melbourne won NAB’s creative account,
