FirstBank in Colorado is running a series of ads at ski resorts promoting their mobile banking to young adults. Dangling over snow and equipment, the signs read “Bank in your ski mask without getting arrested”… with smaller text eluding to their mobile banking service.
Now, I’m not one to read the fine print on billboards, and knowing my innate sense of curiosity, I’d probably try to test their promise and walk into a branch wearing a ski mask. The result of course would be an uncomfortable encounter with police and that embarrassing moment where my lawyer tells me that A) the ad was a joke, and B) it was strictly for mobile banking.
This theoretical scenario got me thinking, however, that it would be really buzzworthy if FirstBank added some guerrilla marketing tactics to their campaign. For example, they could have stunts where hired actors wearing ski masks wander into bank branches and do transactions. Or maybe ski masked actors jump people in the street and hand them wallets filled with money and FirstBank mobile banking promo materials. Overall, I just think that this concept really lends itself to guerrilla techniques, and it’s a shame to see the campaign stop at traditional advertising… especially considering the target audience.
I had a headline once: “The easiest way to get free money without that itchy ski mask feeling.”
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Haha, good headline!
I’d totally bank somewhere that used that. Sense of humor is important. Youngins don’t want their banks to be all drab and crotchety.
Nice info! Very cool post.I have looked over your blog a few times and I love it.
Great find! There is so much that can be done in (and outside) of branches that is interactive and buzzworthy. You might call it the “just add actors” approach. When you think about adding performers to a campaign (whether they’re paid actors or bank staff) it opens up a whole new dimension!
[…] little while ago, I wrote a post on the PSST! blog about FirstBank’s “ski mask joke” mobile banking ads. The campaign had great […]
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[…] FirstBank brand just happens to be a little bit fun and sarcastic (see more of their advertising here and here), which makes these billboards appropriate for them. But they do reinforce an important […]
[…] Video surveillance: not just for catching dudes in ski masks. […]
[…] little while ago, I wrote a post on the PSST! blog about FirstBank’s “ski mask joke” mobile banking ads. The campaign had great […]