Gosh DDB Sydney is doing a good job of making Westpac likeable, approachable and now reassuring. And that began at a time when making people trust any bank was mission impossible.

The new campaign has a lot of heart, a touch of humour and a dab of sadness. It doesn’t talk about money, it doesn’t talk about banking. It talks about us – the audience. The campaign film is a montage of life’s eventful moments, big and small and a reminder that life is ups and downs, surprising and challenging, rewarding and not – all of which are packaged up in Westpac’s promise that it’s the bank that helps.

It’s a reassuring commercial at a time when that matters a great deal to people.

The film is a collaborative effort by four of Australia’s up-and-coming directors, Stefan Hunt, Danny Cohen, Shelly Lauman and Billie Pleffer, under the guidance of Lion director, Garth Davis. Each has shown aspects of life in their own filmic style.

DDB Sydney executive creative director, Matt Chandler, noted,  “From the outset we wanted to go somewhere new with the work, while still holding onto the integrity of the brand that’s been established. Our ambition couldn’t have been better realised by the team from Exit Films. They gave us something so imaginative and heartfelt, it was a joy to be part of the process.”

Westpac group head of brand, advertising and media, Jenny Melhuish, commented, “Our new work builds on our ‘help’ series, which focused on those really big life moments like starting a business or separating from a partner, and extends to those smaller eventful moments such as losing a phone, starting a new relationship, or getting your first pay cheque. We want to show Australians that we understand life is made up of these big and small moments – and as they need us, we are here to help.

“Our new app is making banking simpler, our products are designed to support customers reach their money goals, and our website has loads of tools and tips to help Australians prepare financially for whatever life throws at them.”

The updates have helped Westpac to broaden its broad appeal and create a closer connection with younger Australians, which the new campaign reinforces. A bolder colour pallet, animation, and new tone of voice are all in play to make the brand more relatable.

The campaign launched nationally on March 7 and is running across TV, print, digital, out of home and social.

Credits:

Client: Westpac
Creative Agency: DDB Sydney 
Production Company: Exit Films 
Editing: The Editors
Post Production: Alt.VFX 
Sound: Sonar
Music Supervision: Level Two 
Media: Spark Foundry
PR: Finchco Agency

Design: Interband

A bit of history: