Starling Bank launches brand position that puts its people first

The company wants to shine a spotlight on its customers – the people behind every transaction – and highlight how it can fit into their lives.

Each of the relatable shorts was directed by Lucy Forbes, known for her work on This is Going to Hurt and The End of the F***ing World.

In ‘The Dessert,’ viewers see a frustrated young woman motivated to move out after witnessing her parents having a romantic moment together in the kitchen, ‘Rinsed’ features a young entrepreneur washing her parents’ car in exchange for pocket money, while ‘Night Owls’ sees a hard-working lorry driver on the night shift, encouraging his partner to enjoy a night out with friends and then later receiving a ‘Karaoke Bar’ spending notification on their joint account.

Rachel Kerrone, brand and marketing director at Starling Bank, commented: “We’ve been building Starling’s brand awareness since launching in 2017 with campaigns that capture our founding mission: to change banking for good. With brand awareness at an all-time high, The Bank Built for You platform takes us in an exciting new direction.

“We’re telling relatable human stories that highlight the unique ways we manage our money. It’s about anchoring our best-in-banking features in reality and showcasing how Starling can change the way people spend and save”.

Initially running for three months, the campaign will launch in primetime spots on Sky, Channel 4 and ITV. To coincide with the ads there is also channel-specific assets created for YouTube, BVOD, radio, podcasts, social and digital.

An out-of-home push, which was shot by Starling’s in-house photographer Gina Atanesian, will pop up across large-scale building wraps in Bristol, Leeds, London and Manchester, as well as across national roadside, rail and underground stations.

Jack Croft and Stacey Bird, creative directors at Wonderhood Studios, added: “Our ambition was to create a campaign with Starling that stood out from the sea of other banking ads that often don’t seem in touch with real people. ‘The bank built for you’ enables us to champion Starling’s unique approach to banking and showcase it in a relatable way. Each film feels like a real moment in a real person’s day, whether funny, lonely, or joyful – something we feel is unique to Starling.”