Lloyds Bank
By your side
Transforming an iconic brand
My role: Creative Director
Lloyds is one of Britain’s oldest banks. And it’s on a mission to embrace modernity, connect more deeply with its 30+ million customers and shed its stuffy image. (No biggy.)
After helping Ogilvy UK win the Lloyds Banking Group pitch in 2022, I spent 12 months as Creative Director on this mammoth account. This included developing CRM and social campaigns for Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, MBNA, Scottish Widows and its more minor brands.
From the most BAU brief (and there were lots of those) to blue sky campaigns, we added emotional depth and charm to – let’s be honest – a usually bland category.
We crafted the tone of voice to be more conversational and customer-centric, while elevating the look-and-feel to be sleek and super simple.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the Lloyds work I’m proud of.
NO MORE TUMBLEWEEDS. REVOLUTIONISING THE WAY WE WELCOME NEW CUSTOMERS.
The modestly titled ‘App Onboarding’ project played a key role in this quest. It kicked off the incredible creative transformation of the iconic Lloyds brand, while simultaneously changing the way the bank welcomed its new customers.
Starting with a meticulously planned CRM strategy. (No more radio silence.) Supported by a slick look-and-feel and super simple UX. Plus, a charming tone of voice, condensed into bite-sized, customer-centric copy.
Even the way we welcomed customers was revolutionary for the bank. Forget sending dull letters that looked more like compliance comms. ‘App Onboarding’ was all about connecting with newbies where they spent most of their time: their phones.
We did good. This piece won a Bronze DMA (Data & Marketing Association UK) Award in 2024.
CHALLENGING THE WAY BRITS THINK ABOUT COVER.
Insurance is a necessity in life, but it’s hardly inspiring stuff. It was time to change that.
We wanted to truly connect with our ambivalent audience and show Lloyds is always there, when they needed them. We also wanted to let Brits know Lloyds is more than a bank – it has all sorts of insurance products. (Only 1/3 of customers knew this.)
To get there, we proposed a game-changing idea for the category. It was all about renaming our insurance products and calling them ‘Reassurance’ products instead. In doing so, we’d be offering something refreshing and different from mere ‘insurance’. Not to mention, something ‘reassuring’, given the current cost-of-living crisis.
BRINGING PENSIONS INTO THE MODERN WORLD.
So much has changed since pensions were introduced over a hundred years ago. Except pensions.
To launch Lloyd’s new ‘Ready-Made Pensions’ product, we proposed celebrating key moments in history and society, from 1909 to now. It was designed to change perceptions about pensions and shake up a usually dull category.
Contextual out of home: These ads were situated near where the original photos were taken.
CONVINCING CAUTIOUS BRITS TO STOP SAVING THEIR PENNIES. (YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT.)
With the cost-of-living crisis in full swing, Brits are more conservative with their money than ever before. Investing is widely considered way too risky and for only rich folk. So Lloyds needed to change tack and challenge preconceptions.
The result: An Economist style campaign which told some hard truths about saving vs. investing. It also brought the brand into a much more compelling space, both tonally and visually.
