Understanding the stress of money management, the UK’s largest digital bank, Monzo, and Uncommon Creative Studio, created a campaign to highlight the positive feelings that come with banking with Monzo. ‘Money Never Felt Like Monzo’ employs humorous juxtaposition to consolidate the brand’s relatable image.

The campaign includes a hero film and out of home executions. The work centres on the theme of opposites: the bad and the good. In a series of shots, audiences are shown how managing money can feel, versus how using Monzo feels. The former is stressful, grating, cold, uncomfortable, unsatisfying, and - at times - painful. But the latter is zen, warm, soft, happy. 

Speaking on the insights behind these images and the overall campaign, AJ Coyne, Monzo’s VP of Marketing, explains: “Across the country, money evokes a variety of feelings, usually stress, anxiety, avoidance”.

He continues: “However our customers tell us that on Monzo money feels different, so much so that they’re seven times more likely to use the word ‘love’ when describing us than any other bank”.

Often, money management can be stressful; whether that’s keeping on top of budgeting, or navigating the sometimes complicated world of banking. Monzo’s latest campaign highlights what the bank is all about; making money management easier.

Over the course of 60 seconds, the ‘Money Never Felt Like Monzo’ hero film makes numerous comparisons to drive this message home. While ‘money’ might feel like banging your head onto your keyboard during a frustrating day at work, ‘Monzo’ feels like mastering the art of Kung Fu to break through a wooden board with your head. 

The ad juxtaposes a screaming match with a loving moment, cold with warmth, pain with pleasure, anxiety with celebration, the broken with the fixed, failure with success. Speeding up as it goes on, the video creates a heightened sense of tension. This is ultimately embodied by a man stressfully trying to row a boat through sand, before the tone switches and calms, as he relaxes onto a sunlounger at the beach. 

Running across TV, video on demand, cinema and YouTube, the hero video launched in late May.

Out of home executions feature a broken toilet showing the feeling of ‘money’ and a colourful water fountain reflecting the opposing feelings that come with Monzo. Simple but effective, these compositions quickly convey Monzo’s message. 

The campaign went live around the UK, and can be spotted in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Newcastle.

Together, Uncommon Creative Studio and Monzo produced a campaign which successfully and simply captures the brand’s message. Utilising humorous comparisons and imagery, the video and OOH assets are at once engaging and effective.