BNZ launches ‘Be Good With Money’ campaign via Colenso BBDO New Zealand
BNZ has recently launched a new campaign entitled ‘Be Good With Money’ via Colenso BBDO New Zealand.
For three weeks “Money is Good” and “Money is Bad” statements appeared around New Zealand, as well as two unbranded films playing on television and cinema. Who was behind the campaign was a well-kept secret (even from BNZ staff), to create maximum interest and talk about the subject of money, without influencing it with the bank’s involvement.
Colenso BBDO New Zealand then revealed it was indeed BNZ, with outdoor, press and a 90 second film that wove the “good” and “bad” tease films together.
Client: BNZ
Chief Marketing Officer: Craig Herbison
Agency: Colenso BBDO NZ
Creative Directors: Nick Worthington & Steve Cochran
Creative Team: Nick Worthington, Steve Cochran, James Conner, Christie Cooper
Producers: Jen Storey, Megan Robertson
Group Account Director: Paul Wilson
Senior Account Director: Jo Underdown
Senior Account Manager: Hannah Watson
Production Company: Revolver/Park Pictures
Director: The Glue Society (Gary Freedman)
Executive Producers: Michael Ritchie, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Justin Pollock
Producer: Michael Ritchie
Line Producer, Park Pictures: Michelle Currinder
DOP: Toby Schleissler
Production Designer: Tom Foden
Editor: Bernard Garry, The Editors
Post Production: The Editors
Music: Elliott Wheeler, Turning Studios
Sound Design: Simon Kane, Song ZU
30 Comments
The big question is:
Exactly what are these ads saying?
As far as I can tell, nothing we didn’t already know about money.
So what do the ads say about BNZ? Nothing at all.
The billboards were annoying but I like this stuff a lot. Well done all.
Why the hell is the Bank of New Zealand getting all Tony Soprano on us? (or is this the precursor to a clever rebrand to BNY?)
Sadly, these fit the mold of all big bank ads these days: trite philosophy, disconnected from anything real about what the bank does, and equally unconnected from the day-to-day realities of consumers lives (see also CommBank “Can”, ANZ “We live in your world” etc etc)
One would have thought that perhaps the BNZ and their agency would have supported the local production and post production industry in the creation of these television commercials. Particularly as many of us KEEP OUR DWINDLING SUPPLIES OF MONEY IN YOUR BLOODY BANK.
Thanks guys.
It was a brilliant idea that caught the attention of everybody. LOVE it guys. anz and colenso are breaking the mold.
Much Better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNXWbSNDT5Q&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JvVUUmQyBU
This is cool. Not just different for a bank, but good.
There appears to be nothing NZ about the BNZ anymore.
This ad seems to be based on some confusion about language. They talk about why you should do good with your money (Citibank’s ‘Here for Good’ campaign with edgier art direction), but then suggest you be good with money. Not the same thing.
The former is a nice fluffy public service announcement. The latter is more what I would like from a bank – but other than the end line, it is not addressed. Perhaps they thought no one would notice the side-step and reversal of direction right at the end of the commercial.
Overall, I do not think it will sell many home loans.
This is simply AOL-UK… Same strategy. Same creative. Make note of all the creatives (right from the bottom to the top) who put their names to this work – they are unabashedly-shameless world class cheats. F-ing amazing that Colenso keeps passing off other peoples creative work as their own time and time again!
Hello Colenso.
I nearly choked on my tea when this came on. This will resonate with no one. Shameful.
Smart brands are putting their efforts into having a point of view, they’re starting a debate, and they’re getting noticed. This is great work.
Whether money is good or bad just isn’t a debate. There was only ever one answer – it’s neither. There was never going to be any payoff from this campaign.
I really liked this as it unfolded. It felt grown-up, intelligent and engaging. I’m not sure how they’re going to add the next ‘how to’ layer that it desperately needs, but I’m keen to see how it’s handled. Then I saw the AOL ads from the UK posted above. Now I feel cheated.
It’s a weak idea relying on production values to give it some impact. It could be any bank brand – just change out the name nb ‘@haters gonna hate’. This is what you get when an uninspiring client can’t provide a decent brief. Funnily enough Y&R’s old BNZ pig campaign looks good next to this effort. So this is just more wallpaper.
This is a compelling story well told.
The AOL work is also about two sides of a coin, but I do not see the relevance, it is a stock footage montage.
The idea that there are at least two sides to a story is not nearly the whole idea, this is about what you are going to do with money, and how you let money affect you.
The idea and it’s reveal were carefully thought through and crafted in the execution.
Good job.
Apparently it’s not the first time Colenso has tried to sell this concept to a bank (& not to this bank)… just a shame that BNZ bought it.
Perhaps ‘haters gonna hate’ or ‘WP’ could shed light on this, as they patently work at Colenso?
How dare you compare this calibre of work to anything from Y&R. I stand by both anz and this campaign all the way.
@haters gonna hate: referring to anz in both your posts, rather than BNZ, is kind of ruining your argument.
How dare someone compare this calibre of work to anything from Y&R?
Hmmm. Seems you have some serious hate issues there yourself Mr haters gonna hate.
And saying the ads are for anz is kinda humourous.
And this link was posted on the Oz blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCPlCEguT8g
‘Recycling is good’ – wrong as usual. I work across the ditch, where the consensus on this work seems to be decidedly more positive than in your sad little neck of the woods.
What workd do these people think we live in? Copied or not, if this conceot was brand new orginila thinking from Colenso, surely it would not even pass the most basic testing to see that it was in fact ‘original’ and hadn’t been done before… Or do these guys think that because we’re in New Zealand it’s okay? This on the heel of that copied tripe for State insurance!
Hate, hate, hate.
@WP:
what do you mean “as usual”? That is the first time I’ve used that alias…
Also, I’m also across the ditch (so there!).
And the Australian consensus on this work does not really seem to be more positive at all: http://www.campaignbrief.com/2012/10/kiwi-bank-bnz-launches-be-good.html#comments
Maybe you’re you’re reading about it on some internal Clems blog?
terrible idea terribly executed – Revolver should be ashamed their normally HOT – I wonder who the director was
What! The idea is stolen? Shame Colenso. Shame.
This is pretty humiliating. Will Mr Herbison want his money back? If I were him I’d ask for a refund.
On a side note, I think the PR picture of the dude/actor in the ad looks like Tony from Special.
In third form we learn about target audience. (How is what you’re writing relevant to the intended reader) I believe this is a core concept in advertising, which is exactly what puzzles me about this ad. It is extremely well put together and has obviously gathered a lot of attention, but does it really paint the picture of a kiwi bank? One: this ad screams Grand Theft Auto. Two: BNZ is American now? Oh wait no still Bank of NEW ZEALAND.
Great example of a BAD way to spend your money on an advertising campaign. Incredibly forgettable…
I agree, are we advertising at or for our customers, or just for other creatives working on bank accounts…