Starling Bank turns to TV to lead brand building strategy to become a household name
Starling Bank has embraced TV in its marketing strategy for the first time, acknowledging the need for brand building in its growth strategy.
Starling Bank releases debut TV ad to become a 'household name'
In 2019, the brand grew by 500,000 customers and now boasts 900,000 accounts. However, the challenger bank will evoke its avian branding to tell its story to a mass TV market.
The 30-second spot shows starlings take flight across the countryside, scored Avicii’s 'Feeling Good' cover, showing how the app links businesses and their customers. Creative agency and production company Ekstasy, with director Eduardo Vieitez, created the spot leaning into the "fast, effortless, sociable and agile" traits of the starling.
Rachael Pollard, chief growth officer at Starling Bank, said: "We're proud to be taking the Starling brand nationwide with a launch campaign that leverages the full marketing mix, including TV for the first time. Our aim is to make Starling a household name, pursuing our mission to free the UK from cumbersome and outdated banking.
"As we fast approach one million customers, the time is right to accelerate our marketing strategy and stop being one of banking's best-kept secrets."
Mike Saraswat, founder and senior producer at Ekstasy, added: “It wasn’t hard to develop a strong concept for a bank such as Starling, who are committed to innovation, disruption and putting its customers first. We had a few initial ideas, but the one that really stood out is why Starling Bank is named after the starling bird and how the bird comes together to form these spectacular murmurations."
The ad first runs today (14 October) across Channel 4 and ITV, hitting both the Great British Bake Off and England's Bulgaria qualifier for UEFA 2020.
Vote for the campaign below in The Drum's Creative Works.
