Mobile Banking the World Loves

Concept development, copywriting, and art direction for N26’s first US out-of-home campaign

CAMPAIGN GOALS

In 2018, challenger bank N26 announced plans to launch in the US. Despite being one of the fastest-growing banks in Europe with more than 3 million customers, N26 lacked brand awareness in the US and had difficulty making a splash locally.

I worked with a small team to conceptualize and execute N26's first US brand campaign. Our goal was to build brand awareness and position the app as a trustworthy, uncomplicated solution for individuals who had been burned by big banks. Over half of Americans have become more suspicious of their banks over the past five years, which meant that N26's timing couldn't have been better — we just had to make people notice.

CONCEPT AND STRATEGY

When planning N26's first US brand campaign, I worked with research and design teams to hold focus groups to gain insights on which features matter most to users. With that insight, I built a messaging hierarchy centered around everyone's favorite four-letter word: love.

When you think about the word love, you likely think about your friends, family, pets, a favorite song, or perhaps even your morning coffee. Our research told us that love is not a word typically associated with banking. In fact, 7 out of 10 millennials would rather visit their dentist than a bank. Functionally speaking, N26's product seeks to transform the experience of banking from a necessary evil to something people actually enjoy, which is why for N26's first brand campaign, we put the word "love" front and center.

Our small team brought this multi-channel campaign to life in just a few short weeks. Beyond concept and copy, I also had a hand in media buying, talent selection, final layout, and reviewing proofs.

The project debuted with a multi-million dollar out-of-home campaign in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. A digital campaign supported the OOH placements, including paid social ads and a corresponding influencer campaign.

 The campaign was profiled by several publications, including The Drum, Bank Innovation, Marketing Daily, and Tearsheet.

“Celebrating diversity and highlighting benefits millennials appreciate, N26 appears to be targeting that demographic with its colorful and bold imagery.”

- Michael Deleon, Tearsheet