“Squirrel wakes Kiwis up to a new way to do money.” That’s both a squirrel and financial services provider, Squirrel. It’s certainly not unusual for a money brand to have an animal spokesperson but when that brand is called Squirrel…well, it’s also a mnemonic.
Wake up to The Squirrel Effect! is the rallying cry of Squirrel’s new campaign, that features a cheeky little red squirrel called Bernie, popping up unexpectedly to push everyday Kiwi to “change what you’re doing with your money, and change your future”.
Ruth Hamlin, chief marketing officer at Squirrel, says that, growing up, most of us are taught to think of the big banks as the go-to option for anything to do with our money – whether it’s managing your savings, or getting a home loan. We’re so used to the way the financial system works, that it’s easy to think that’s the only option we’ve got. We really wanted to challenge that collective mindset, and get Kiwi thinking about a smarter way of doing things with their money.”
The campaign’s hero film is supported by additional films that explain Squirrel’s products further – its savings and investments offering, as well as mortgage brokering.
“With everything going on with the economy right now, we knew it was the right time to wake New Zealanders up from their financial apathy and prove that Squirrel has their back. What better way to do it than with our loveable squirrel, Bernie,” Hamlin added.
Callum Walker, head of business management at Special, commented, “We love Bernie. He’s the perfect embodiment of not only Squirrel’s reason for being but also reflects the awesome energy of the team there. We can’t wait to see him out in the world waking Kiwis from their financial slumber.”
The full campaign includes digital, OOH, and radio.
Credits:
Client: Squirrel
Chief Marketing Officer: Ruth Hamlin
Marketing Manager: Hayley Stirling
Agency: Special
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Max Barden
Executive Producer: Ben Dailey
Producer: Jimena Murray
Cinematographer: Crighton Bone
Production Designer: Neville Stevenson
Wardrobe Stylist: Kristin Seth
Casting: Adrian Dentice @ AKD Casting
Editor: Julian Currin
Colour: Matic Prusnik
Online & VFX: Blockhead VFX
Photography: Troy Goodall @ Match
Audio: Liquid Studios
Sound Design: Craig Matuschka
