In a market riddled with high competition, The Village Bank looked to differentiate itself and offer a checking account with improved features and cash-reward initiatives to both their current and potential customers. The challenge was to create an appealing checking account that actively rewarded customers for engaging with digital banking features and build the brand impression that it was keeping up with the latest digital banking trends and technologies.
Digital banking features and incentives:
Growing pressure for banks to provide more than just basic services—customers now expect additional value, specifically in the way of rewards and digital convenience. 25% of customers switched banks last year, with the majority seeking better digital experiences and more personalized services.
Market size:
The digital banking market is expanding rapidly (U.S. users anticipated to hit 216 million by 2025), offering competitive digital features and financial incentives with their products became a key strategy for The Village Bank.
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The campaign centered around the headline: “Banking so rewarding, it pays you.” This direct and compelling visual and content messaging captured the essence of the offer—a modern digital banking experience and cash back rewards for their participation.
I worked through the design process, curating a mood board and reviewing a number of different styles of visuals to communicate an institution that was keeping up with their fast-paced, innovative digital banking competitors.
This led to a solution that was clean and modern, using bold typography and a curated stock video that I edited and customized to bring into brand alignment, then created a motion graphics introduction video that would be the centerpiece for branding out the campaign in an array of other mediums. The vibrant imagery highlighted the ease and profitability of enrolling in digital features, while avoiding current creative dynamics in the financial services market, which are often are flooded with lifestyle photography.
The introductory campaign was rolled out across multiple channels, including social media, email, digital ads and the bank’s website, as well as large window displays across their branches. We used targeted ads to reach both existing customers and new prospects.
Visuals for subsequent promotional initiatives featured relatable scenarios paired with further reward opportunities, like an opportunity to sign up and win up to $2500 for yourself and another $2500 for a charity.
The introductory campaign succeeded in converting 95% of current customers within a year, earning each account an additional $33 per month on average in rewards. A subsequent promotion also generated 60 new accounts in just 10 days, proving the strong appeal of the offer. Ultimately this and other promotions like this one I’ve worked on for The Village Bank has all contributed to a $140M increase in deposits across 2022.
This was a wonderful example to me of how form and function fit together to create lasting value for those I find creative solutions for.