Santander Bank has moved on from competing with The Bank of Antandec and launched its first work with new agency, Publicis Flame, the solution designed for Santander of creative, media, production and data services, co-produced by Mitre Studios. Saatchi & Saatchi has picked up on the UK’s frustrations with the long, messy road to home ownership, making Santander Bank the place where first home ownership becomes easier.

Ant and Dec, who have starred in Santander’s advertising since 2019, return in 30- and 60- spots directed by Aaron Stoller through Biscuit Filmworks. This time they’re playing themselves, bringing their natural wit and warmth to the story.

The new work, The Moving Van, also lives across OOH and social executions shot by Ronan Gallagher, which all feature real movers from different stages of life including housemates, a young family, couples and a single buyer on the move with her dog. 

The campaign lives within new creative platform, Moving Starts Here, prioritising hope and grounded optimism, building on a simple but bold commitment to help a “lost generation” get moving, and is the first work in the UK under Santander’s It Starts Here global platform.

Research from Santander found that over half of new homeowners (52%) found that saving up a deposit was the biggest barrier to buying a home, with the average Santander first time buyer putting down a deposit of £85,000 in 2025. To help the next generation of buyers get onto the ladder sooner, the bank launched My First Mortgage for house purchases, the latest in a suite of benefits  Santander offers first time buyers.

Moving Starts Here will run across TV, cinema, VOD, online video, radio, OOH and social. 

Dan Sherwood, marketing director, Santander, stated, “Getting on the property ladder can feel out of reach for many people. With ‘Moving Starts Here’, we set out to change that – showing, how, with our new mortgage and savings solutions, getting into your first home could be closer than it seems. Grounded in real customer insight, the campaign is designed to build confidence and momentum. The Moving Van becomes a powerful symbol of that shift – from uncertainty to possibility, from waiting to moving forward. While Ant & Dec continue to bring their unmistakable warmth, this marks a new creative direction for us – more grounded, more purposeful, and focused on turning belief into action for first-time buyers.”

Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, added, “Santander are helping more young people on the path to home ownership. Ant and Dec remain, but to deliver a straighter message and with bags of charm, craft, and a 1970s easy listening revival. The OOH sets a new visual direction rooted in real life and we’re excited for what’s to come.”

Gemma Nightingale, head of entertainment at Mitre Studios, commented, “Continuing Santander’s long-running partnership with Ant and Dec, this new campaign heralds a brand-new creative approach for the relationship, and one that intentionally meets the realities of home ownership head-on. Talking straight down the lens from the back of a moving van, Ant and Dec leave the mischief behind to focus on something more important: helping first time buyers take their first step on the property ladder. By mixing candour with warmth, and openness with humour, this is a campaign that intentionally speaks to a generation of hopeful Brits who want to make their home-owning dreams a reality.”

Credits:

Client: Santander UK
Marketing Director: Dan Sherwood
Head of Advertising & Marketing Communications: Tina Boyle
Marketing Communications: Sam Westwood, Jane Green & Kate Attwood 
Media Strategy: Stephen Howell & Neha Mistry Media Strategy

Agency: Publicis Flame
Chief Creative Officer: Franki Goodwin
Chief Strategic Officer: Sam Wise
Creative Director: Simon Cheadle
Creatives: Sam Simmons, George Coyle, Phoenix Hamilton
Producers: Alex Pemberton, Josephine Roloff
Managing Partner: William Lever
Account Director: James Graham
Senior Project Manager: Evie Ungemuth
Strategy Director: Shaun Murphy 
Director: Aaron Stoller
Photographer: Ronan Gallagher
Head of Entertainment: Gemma Nightingale @ Mitre Studios