Special and ANZ build on new brand platform with second campaign
ANZ has launched its second campaign from its recently appointed creative agency Special Group, just over a month since launching its new brand platform in early April.
The second iteration of the ‘Financial Wellbeings’ platform reintroduces ANZ staffer ‘Pete’ in what the brand character’s second attempt to create ads for the Bank.
The campaign is led by a 60-second spot in which Pete uses advertising tropes seen in overdramatic fashion style ads – exaggerated storylines and over the top techniques – to drive home the point that ANZ’s new home loan offerings are actually incredibly straightforward.
A serious male actor type character is seen standing, masked, on an empty, glistening wet street, faced opposite a lone deer, with a dramatic orchestral soundtrack. The man is then seen floating in what appears to be a monastery, then seated in a mediation pose in robes. He steps out of a car with an eagle perched on his arm, stepping through the doors into a stone building interrupting a glamourous party where a young woman stands at the bottom of a staircase. The façade is broken as Pete yells ‘cut’, telling the actor that the drama is ‘all a bit much, maybe we just say we’ve simplified our home loans…’. The gaff continues as Pete tries to explain to the actor what has changed about the home loans and how they will make customers feel ‘good’ not ‘weightless’.
Luana Hughes, head of home loans marketing at ANZ said: “ANZ is the first major bank to move away from bundled home loan packages, which customers can find hard to understand and value. Customers no longer need to take out a home loan package and pay an annual package fee to access interest rate discounts. So not only do we have a breakout product but we have the advertising to match. We are thrilled with the output, as not only will it stand out in the category but it also remains consistent with ANZ’s playful tone of voice and builds on our new ‘For Financial Wellbeings’ brand work.”
Tom Martin, CCO & partner at Special said: “A man stares down a stag and then floats in the air in his bedroom… Advertising itself has a way of sometimes getting a bit too convoluted and complex for its own good, so railing against that seemed like the perfect way to highlight that ANZ home loans have now taken a much more simplified approach with their offering.”
Rebecca Stambanis, strategy partner at Special said: “Taking out a home loan is a massive financial decision but it doesn’t need to be a complicated one. For too long, Aussies have been overwhelmed with home loan packages full of ambiguity, asterisks and unwanted extras. So, when it came to communicating ANZ’s new simplified approach, we were delighted to have some fun with it and celebrate the pure essence of uncomplication directed by our very own brand character Pete.”
The campaign will be brought to life across TV, OOH, social and digital.
Credits
Client: ANZ
CMO: Sweta Mehra
Head of Brand Strategy & Marketing: Kjetil Undhjem
Head of Home Loans Marketing: Luana Hughes
Campaign Lead: Dean Lisina
Project Marketing Lead: Gary Burch
Marketing Journey Expert (Digital): Ayesha Mullan
Marketing Journey Expert: Felicity Reddy
Marketing Journey Expert: Annie Vu
Content Expert: Hannah Sutton
Marketing Chapter Lead: Ivana Pappalardo
Marketing Journey Expert: Jess Boehm
Creative Agency: Special Group Australia
CEO & Partners: Lindsey Evans & Cade Heyde
CCO & Partners: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin
Strategy Partner: Rebecca Stambanis
Strategist: Jack Gilbert
Creative Directors: Nils Eberhardt, Simon Gibson, Matt McCarron
Creatives: Shaun McFarlane, Janice Ko
Designer Director: Keir Vaughan,
Designer: Maggie Webster
Finished Artist: Jen Bailey
General Manager: Paige Prettyman
Business Director: Emma Salmon
Business Manager: Ben Deville
Head of Production/ EP: Sevda Cemo
Senior Producer: Alyce Guy
Stills Producer: Glen Mcleod
Digital Producer: Shiv Prabhavalkar
Production Company: FINCH Company
Director: The Bobbsey Twins
Managing Director: Corey Esse
Executive Producer: Loren Bradley
Producer: Alexandra Taussig
Director of Photography: Jeremy Rouse
Post Production House: The Editors
Offline Editor: Jack Hutchings
Colourist: Matt Fezz
Online Editor: Stuart Cadzow
Sound House: Rumble Studios
Music & Sound EP: Michael Gie
Composer: Jeremy Richmond
Sound Designer: Cameron Milne
Stills:
Photographer: Andreas Smetana
Production Company: Flint
Retouching: Cream Studios
Media agency: PHD
Group Business Director: Jordan Smith
Business Director: Lizzy O’Connor
Planning Directors: Natalie O’Hanlon, Georgina Debenham
Strategy Director: Brendan Dodd
Investment Director: Kaitlin Despott
Digital Manager: Anastassia Choutova
Activations Manager: Jason Cheung
Investment Manager: Kim Stockdale
Account Executives: Brandon Rice, Isabelle Barton
PR agency: Thrive PR
Managing Director: Leilani Abels
APAC General Manager: Kelly Stambanis
Group Account Directors: Elisabeth Corcoran and Victoria Fruean
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