Objective – Promote Choice Financial’s FREE ATM service as the most easy to use in the Fargo- Moorhead area.
Obstacles – During the time of the promotion, a multitude of other banks in the Fargo market were also pitching FREE ATM fees.
Solution – Insights gained from Absolute Marketing and Choice Financial showed that while several other banks offered the FREE ATM service, the majority required customers to save receipts in order to be reimbursed at the end of the month.
For the creative, Choice Financial asked that we flex our muscle to crack through the clutter. Since the asterisk represents the differences between Choice and the shifty competitor and is very small by nature, we decided to heighten and embellish this minute piece of punctuation much like B horror movies from the ‘50s and ‘60s turned small creatures into ghastly monsters such as the 50 foot woman or alien centipedes.
Gold Addy - Television - Local, One DMA, Single
Objective – Create brand recognition for Go Wireless, a Verizon phone dealership.
Obstacles – There are several phone dealerships in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Many are other phone service providers, but there remains heavy competition within the Verizon market.
Solution – Understanding the presence of college-aged decision makers in the Fargo-Moorhead area, it was determined that marketing Go Wireless to a younger demographic as a place where phone vernacular was spoken would produce the best results.
For the creative, we addressed the term, “a Zach Morris phone” which refers to the large, outdated cell phone used by the lead character on the TV show "Saved By The Bell." Personifying the slang term created an immediate bond with the demographic who grew up with the show and is familiar with the street term "Zach Morris phone".
Gold Addy - Television - Local, One DMA, Single
Objective – Produce a high-end television commercial promoting Ramada Plaza & Suites.
Obstacles – The Ramada is one of only two hotels in the Fargo-Moorhead area that offers a high-end experience. In addition to the luxury aspect of the Ramada, they also have inviting options for families and business travelers. The variety of benefits becomes difficult to capture in thirty seconds especially when the message is directed at such a wide audience.
Solution – To convey luxury jazz music, high-end footage and limited copy were used. The limited copy followed the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. Since there was a lot to say, creating a visually driven commercial without a distracting voice over allowed viewers to focus on the imagery of the amenities being displayed. Also, the lack of copy didn’t discriminate against any audience by talking above or below them. The use of imaginative transitions made the spot inviting and kept the audience attentive.
Objective – Introduce the Ubanking checking account, a checking account for students between the ages of 15-22 through a variety of media.
Obstacles – Aside from the inherent difficulties of marketing to a teenage audience, there were other potential roadblocks that needed to be overcome. Union State Bank utilizes the mascot, Freebie, for all business to consumer campaigns. Since the target grew up watching Barney, introducing a friendly mascot would receive immediate animosity. Additionally, banking and other structured institutions are viewed as cold and out of touch by the teenage market.
Solution – The primary objective was to neutralize any possible hostility by placing Ubanking into the teenage environment. By shooting on a camcorder from first person, we were able to achieve the viewer created content look. Placing that actual mascot rather than a cartoon image and embracing this brand standard added the random effect. Lastly, making Freebie the joke neutralized any negative “Barney” attitudes.
