Mobile phone mishaps featured in four short TV spots produced by JFG
When your credit union client asks for a departure from typical financial marketing, you jump at the chance to produce something memorable, funny, and relatable to their audience. Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union wanted to target the millennial generation with a message that would resonate – and we delivered.
Mobile Banking…Almost Anywhere
During the creative process, JFG and Cornerstone CFCU decided to focus on the versatile mobile banking application and everything that could be accomplished. From opening an account and applying for a loan to paying bills and completing transfers, a series of spots were written and storyboards were created to reflect the fact that users could do their banking anywhere – almost.
Scenes Focused on Fun and Folly
The team narrowed the scenes down to five spots featuring members of the millennial generation using their phones in everyday situations – eating dinner, watching a baseball game, during a marriage proposal, hanging out at the beach, and, of course, in the bathroom. Demonstrating that the Cornerstone mobile banking app was so convenient that it could be used anywhere, the caveat in each spot was a distracting, and in some cases embarrassing, event where something happens to the user’s phone – showing that while you can use your phone anywhere – you probably shouldn’t.
Beaches, Bleachers, Niagara Falls, and Toilet Stalls
With a tight timetable, JFG and Cornerstone turned to The Space Between – Western New York’s Dynamic Training & Ideation Workspace – as their television studio. Utilizing the giant whiteboard in The Escarpment room, JFG was able to create the illusion of multiple scenes, keeping the budget in check, while providing a unique look for the spots. Several hundred pounds of sand, actual bleachers, and even a bathroom stall were brought in to complete the illusion. All the spots were shot in a single day. During post-production, the artists at JFG created distinctive illustrations as backdrops for each spot and chose just the right sound effects and voiceover artist to complete the project.
Recommendations and Results
Due to the nature of the spots, JFG recommended a digital component for the campaign to enhance its overall reach to the specified audience, in addition to television. An integrated media buy was completed for local and cable television stations, targeting relatable programming in Niagara County, as well as pre-roll video advertising on YouTube and sponsored publishing on Facebook and Instagram. As of this post, the spots are running across purchased media and are gaining impressions and a favorable click-thru rate on the digital channels.
