Pepper Money shares real-life customer stories in newly launched campaign via String Theory

Leading non-bank lender Pepper Money was set up to help people succeed in the home loan space and now, against the backdrop of rising costs of living and the changing lending environment, its new campaign, developed by String Theory, is 100% mission focused.

 

According to Pepper Money’s general manager, marketing and brand, Sarah Pikardt, the new campaign is about helping Australians recognise that when the bank says no there may be alternatives, and they can be life changing. Featured against Pepper Money’s distinctive red branding is a bold message: ‘Bank said no to your home loan? Talk to us, Australia’s real life non- bank’.

Says Pikardt: “The campaign objective is to help people understand that when the bank says no, there may be a non-bank alternative available. At the very least it’s about knowing what options are on the table including non-bank options.”

The campaign was born from the identification of gaps in financial inclusion – that is the 6 in 10 Australians who enquire about a home loan but don’t go on to obtain one.

Says Pikardt: “This tells us that people are likely to be missing out. And in this market, when people are under enormous stress, knowing your options can make a real difference.

“In response the campaign was designed to educate, inspire and highlight the opportunities for Australians.

“Our 2023 campaign goes to the heart of our brand and is aimed at closing the gap between the growing financial inequities some are faced with by highlighting how understanding what options are available can be the key to finding a ‘yes’ that works for you.”

The stripped back creative approach for the campaign showcases three real-life Pepper Money customers: Josef, Megan, and Paula. No scripts and no fancy production – just the customer and their personal story about how the non-bank option made a real difference.

Says Pikardt: “We take a real-life approach to how we operate as a business – we have that attitude about our policies, our products, our people – right through to the look and feel of this campaign. Real life permeates everything we do as a brand.

“In the past, there has been a level of stigma within the non-bank sector and the customers it serves. But in recent years we have seen a shift and we have customers who are willing to share their personal experiences on how a non-bank loan changed their lives, not only with us personally but with Australia through this campaign, in the hopes it will help others to understand their options.”

Says Jane Cherrington, brand strategist String Theory: “What we’re doing is highlighting human stories, that’s why the campaign is built around real people and the real-life difference non-bank lending makes. It’s easy to see lending as numbers in the abstract as an industry, but when you take the time to see the real person behind the loan, you get to look at the heart of the Pepper Money brand.”

Working with its long-standing creative and media agency partners String Theory and Customedia, Pepper Money has created a campaign to help the brand grow in the short and long term.

Creative will feature against Pepper Money’s distinctive red branding and has been strategically inserted into the work and play spaces of Pepper Money’s customers’ everyday lives. You can catch Pepper Money’s new campaign across digital platforms and key broadcast channels with partnerships including: Foxtel, Kayo, NewsCorp, 9NOW, Optus Sport and across Sydney and Melbourne trams, buses, trains, and in shopping centres.

Client: Pepper Money
GM Brand & Marketing: Sarah Pikardt
Head of Brand & Sponsorship: David Berry
Marketing Specialist: Jennie Tran
Creative: String Theory
Brand Strategist: Jane Cherrington
Creative Director: Jeremy Taine
Art Director: Tim Blower
Producer: Susie Douglas
Senior Editor: Edje Bennett
Media Agency: Customedia
Senior Partner: Toby Roderick
Head of Digital: Richard Warwick
Strategic Planner: Tegan Hillier
Media Analyst: Carlos Alvarez