Monzo is a new way of banking and BBH has given it a new way of advertising. The digital bank has arrived in Ireland with a campaign made up of personality, simplicity and a bit of well-observed humour.

A New Era of Banking is a campaign of five films set over the past five decades, spotlighting Irish customers’ pain points and how Monzo can help solve them. Each gently observes a moment of waiting, delay or mild inconvenience – from loitering by a phone box to watching a screen slowly load or standing by as a washing machine takes its time. Across each scene, characters casually wonder aloud about the kind of everyday banking features that would make life easier, giving the films a light, knowing humour.

The work, directed by Daniel Liakh through Chaser and voiced by Derry Girls star and Traitors Ireland presenter, Siobhán McSweeney, balances nostalgia with a sharp, contemporary tone. With no hidden fees and no jargon, Monzo is bringing clear and transparent banking to Ireland. It’s a tone that runs consistently across TV, OOH, radio and social, designed to be relatable while maintaining Monzo’s distinct tone of voice from the outset.

To bring the idea of “waiting” into the real world and sparking conversation ahead of Monzo’s arrival, the campaign kicked off with a live activation at Smithfield Plaza in Dublin last week. One hundred people were invited to step onto a large Monzo card installation and remain there together as a countdown unfolded. Those who stayed were rewarded with €400 Golden Tickets, deposited directly into newly opened Monzo accounts, unlocking early access to the bank ahead of its official arrival.

AJ Coyne, vice president of marketing and growth, stated, “Launching in Ireland is a massive milestone. Our mission is to make money work for everyone and we’re so excited to now bring that to the Irish market. We wanted our arrival to feel genuinely local, rooted in the reality of how people here handle money every day. By tackling the actual frustrations Irish customers have faced with banking, this campaign reflects our desire to solve those pain points, while maintaining Monzo’s simple and straightforward tone of voice.”

BBH CEO, Karen Martin, added, “We couldn’t be more excited to help bring Monzo to Ireland. By placing Monzo’s features into those familiar moments of waiting, Irish customers can see not only a different way to bank, but a very different relationship with banking. One that’s of the here and now, for the actual lives people lead.”

Credits:

Client: Monzo 
Client Team: Iona Haig, Nicole Christensen & AJ Coyne

Creative Agency: BBH Dublin
CCO:  Alex Grieve
Executive Creative Director: Felipe Serradourada Guimarães
Creative Director: Gary Mccreadie
Associate Creative Director: Aubrey O’Connell & Charlie Pendarves
Designer: Phoebe Kenny
Account Management Team: Ellen O’Donovan, Millie Dann, Amy Crowe & Bobbie Gannon
Strategy Team: Darius Pasalar & Saskia Jones
Production Team: Emma Ellis, Mulika Ojikutu-Harnett & Matt Kitto 

Production Company: Chaser
Director: Daniel Liakh
DOP: Piers Mcgrail
Producers: Peter Kilmartin & Glen Collins
Editor:  Art Jones @ Work Editorial

Post-Production Company: Screen Scene
Producer: Sinead Bagnall 
VFX Supervisor: Allen Sillery
Flame Compositor: Gavin Casey
3D: Hubert Montag & Mike Mccarthy

Grade: Company 3
Colourist: Dominic Phipps

Sound Studio: Scimitar Sound
Sound Engineer: Dean Jones 

Activation Production Company: Verve
Media Agency: Core