A new year is a great time to set new financial goals, and Starling Bank is making the most of this focus with its latest campaign, ‘The Bank Built for You’. The brand new platform, created in collaboration with Wonderhood Studios, explains that banking is about more than money.

Starling puts people at the heart of this campaign, reflecting the brand’s approach to its product and offering. Using humour and emotion, the campaign highlights the people and the stories behind each bank transaction. At the same time, it showcases the bank’s usability and the way it can flex to fit into all aspects of life.

As Rachel Kerrone, Brand and Marketing Director at Starling Bank, aptly puts: “We’re telling relatable human stories that highlight the unique ways we manage our money. It’s about anchoring our best-in-banking features in reality and showcasing how Starling can change the way people spend and save”. 

Key to the campaign are three 30-second films. Lucy Forbes, director of ‘This is Going to Hurt’ and ‘The End of the F***ing World’, directed each of the ad spots. They are: ‘The Dessert’, ‘Rinsed’, and ‘Night Owls’. Each demonstrates different scenarios in which the bank can make an impact, no matter how small.

In the first, we see a young woman put money into a ‘Move Out’ savings pot after witnessing a romantic moment between her parents. The second portrays a young girl washing her parents’ car for a fee. Once done, she is unhappy with the transferred amount and decides to renegotiate, showcasing the bank’s ability to transfer money between accounts with ease.

The third spot follows a lorry driver on a night shift, encouraging his partner to have a fun night out with friends. A spending notification in their joint account titled ‘karaoke bar’ comes through and puts a smile on his face.

For three months, the hero films will run in ad breaks and as channel-specific assets across YouTube, BVOD, radio, podcasts, social and digital. The campaign is also accompanied by OOH assets. These were shot by the brand’s in-house photographer, Gina Atanesian.

‘The Bank Built for You’ is backed by Starling’s new media strategy, created in partnership with Electric Glue. The strategy has been informed by research into real-life media behaviours for each key market segment.

The campaign captures the real impact of banking on everyday life. As Eve Stepney, Head of Creative at Starling Bank, notes: “There’s a story behind every pound earned, saved and spent”. By utilising this personable tone, the campaign becomes relatable to audiences. In turn, it reflects positively on the brand, showing it to be a bank that understands its customers.