Sassy penguin takes on the city in new campaign for Bank of Melbourne via Saatchis Melbourne
Bank of Melbourne is letting Victorians know that if ‘you have the will, we have the way’, launching a refreshed brand positioning and campaign in collaboration with Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne.
The integrated campaign is underpinned by the bank’s focus on helping customers find a way forward, and demonstrates the bank’s purpose: to help progress the people, businesses and communities of Victoria.
The campaign launches with a rags to riches story of a sassy penguin from St. Kilda who has the will to go her own way and take on the city.
Says Ash Gray, head of brand and marketing, Bank of Melbourne, said the story echoes the aspirations of the bank’s customers.
Says Gray: “Bank of Melbourne’s refreshed brand highlights our ongoing commitment to helping customers find a way forward with our tailored products and exceptional service.
“The brand platform is based on a simple truth: people don’t go into a bank wanting to stay where they are, they want to progress forward, whether it’s by taking a big step or a small one. Marrying that need to the progressive attitude of our customers – and telling the story through an unexpected St. Kilda resident – felt like something only Bank of Melbourne could do.”
Says Mark Cochrane, managing director, Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne: “The collaborative imaginings between the bank team, Goodoil Films, Alt FX, Pixel, The Butchery, Media Lab and our team has been fantastic to witness. We now hope Melburnians enjoy this story of progress as much as we do.”
The launch component of the idea is being executed across TV, outdoor, radio, digital, partnerships, CRM and in branch, and being rolled out from Sunday 31 March and over the next month.
Client: Bank of Melbourne
Ash Gray
Natalie Warren-Smith
Sarah Sproule
Olivia McLean
Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne
Chief Creative Officer: Mike Spirkovski
Executive Creative Director: Simon Bagnasco
Creative Director: Lee Sunter
Executive Producer: Lucy Trengove
Senior Integrated Producer: Stephanie Bink
Art Director: Tim Yates, Anna Fullerton
Copywriter: Kerem Sekerci, Mac Wright
Integrated Designer: Talia Holland
Interactive Designer: Felix Jong
Client Services Director: Ella Ward
Senior Business Director: Alice Tschuchnigg
Business Director: Eva Nowicki
Executive Strategy Director: Alex Speakman
Managing Director: Mark Cochrane
Media Agency: Media Lab Communications
Group Business Director: Nicole Hayes
Director: Gabby Lawton
Production Company: Goodoil
Director: Adam Gunser
Head of Production: Chana McLallen
Executive Producer: Simon Thomas
DOP: Germaine McMicking
Editors: The Butchery – Jack Hutchings & Cameron Hales
Executive Producer: Freya Maddock
Post Production: Alt.VFX
Head of VFX: Andrew Hellen
Senior VFX Producer: Celeste Fairlie
Colourist: Billy Wychgel
Post Production: Antony Newton
Sound: Risk Sound
Risk Producer: Theresa Valka
Sound Engineer: Dee Gjedsted
Music: Level Two Music
Marcus Brooke-Smith
72 Comments
Good one Saatchi’s, I almost fell for it.
Love this. Brave soundtrack for a bank
what song is it?
Gang Starr – work
Genius Bagnasco!
He’s cute
I like it, different tack for a bank.
Surely this is just another expensive joke? No one is releasing another penguin based ad for another service industry client are they?
Want to get lunch at 12:30 Kerem and Tim? Pho?
Spirko made an animated dragon for St George, an animated magpie for Bank SA, and now he’s followed it up with an animated penguin. Genius.
Nice one Karen and Tim
They always say the sequel never lives up to the original. Not sure why you’d try and make the poor bank version of a John Lewis classic.
Despite it featuring a Penguin, it’s still a really nice execution and your everyday punter is going to love it.
I’m hoping this is a April 1 joke coz this is a stinker.
It’s a lot like the John Lewis ad without the emotion or storytelling.
You had me a Gangstarr. Looks beautiful.
is this a “stinker”?
what an awful thing to post.
Really nice spot. Lots of people at my agency were talking about this today / noticed it last night.
Well done Kerem.
Stick out like a sore thumb. The Bupa ad does penguins better. This just feels contrived beginning to end. Lucky the music track bails them out otherwise this one’s a dud. How does the execution relate at all to ‘way’ that is promised?
And I like it.
Refreshing for a bank.
I get the metaphor of the penguin being a swimming coach… Kinda. But what are those messy cuts with the cardboard boxes and the sold sticker? I’ve watched three times now. They’re crammed in there. It’s jarring. Feels unfinished and rushed. Pity.
It’s tried so hard to tick all the boxes that only someone who has worked on these conveluded briefs would recognise. Business banking, home loans, credit card spending. Unfortunately your regular punter will just see a confusing ad about a penguin becoming a swimming teacher or small business owner or getting stuck in a home loan. Blah
I do see the point of the previous commenter. The rags to riches story is difficult to pick up, even in the long edit. The ‘reveal’ that it’s the swimming cap that helps this cute little creature realise its dreams will be lost on many as those shots are fleeting. I missed it on first viewing myself. Maybe I’m in the minority but I do wonder if this output is how it came together in the storyboards.
Is the joke on us? The penguin is cute and the song is catchy. But will I rewatch this? No. Will I remember who the ad is for? No. Is it ownable in any way? No. Will it make me switch banks? No. Does it even figuratively demonstrate how bank can help me achieve my goals? No.
Could this equally have been a spot for either A) An energy drink B) A price comparison site C) A mobile phone service provider D) A power company?
Yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSxOjBIjyhI
Wow, thank you. I’ve watched it twice and seen it on tv. I hadn’t picked up any of the swimming cap story, did you work on this job or actually read that into it just from watching? I’m just curious to know if people actually understand that coz I missed that by miles.
You can win on this actually. Even in this category… See recent Westpac work by DDB as a case and point. Plenty of time, money and effort will have gone into this campaign. No it’s not a stinker and yes it’s more charming than most spots but compare it to the recent brand campaigns in the category (the only playing field that matters) and you’ll find this one’s near the bottom of the heap.
Point taken on the unfortunate overuse of penguins of late, but this is hardly a stinker in comparison to most other Aussie ads. Well done to the team for convincing the client to tell a nice, simple story, with a great music track.
Someone else explained the swimming cap thing to me. Missed it totally even after several views. Even after being told it’s still bloody vague. Wonder if this was approved or the Agency ran out of time (wouldn’t want to miss that April fools day deadline!)
What swimming cap?
What are you keyboard jockies on about? It’s a simple story about a cute penguin who makes it in the big city. It’s really nice. Especially In comparison to the other bank ads.
Cute. Maybe. Simple. No.
How is this better than Westpac, Commbank or NAB ads? At least I can understand those and remember who they’re for.
When your music is your saving grace you know you’ve fluffed your lines. Fact.
Check out all the anti Saatchi comment on here. Desperately trying to tear down the work. Sad really
What have people got against Saatchi?
I didn’t have an issue with comprehension at all. Nice work guys! Loved the brave music choice. Maybe there was a subtle storie lines but this is a pretty cool ad in my books.
It’s really sweet. CB is a sad toxic place where people tear down rather than build up.
Would have loved to have seen the look on Saatchi’s faces when the BUPA ad went live.
This is like NRMA and Westpac “Help is who we are/what Australians do” all over again.
Looking through the picture I could feel, this penguin was feeling tired when the weather in the south was getting hotter.
Jealous of the song. Whish I’d got that in a bank ad.
It’s not cool to be hating on Saatchis. They’re like the short, fat kid you used to feel sorry for in your school basketball team. Tenacious, but ultimately useless.
A good story I thought. Like the music.
Why do people think a penguin is an idea? If you have 2 ads, both with cowboys…does that mean they are the same? Looked great on tv, Music is good too.
While story construct is a tad familiar and perhaps a bit too much story crammed in, the character is cute, track is a classic. Feels unexpected in bank ads, which normally make me want to staple my eyelids shut. Well done.
I don’t think anyone’s hating on Saatchi, just the ad. Everyone seems to have the same comments. It’s got an overused character, you wouldn’t use a meerkat would you? The story is hard to follow, is the penguin a swimming coach, entrepreneur or a home buyer?
Nothing against Saatchi, just this execution
Agree, the execution here is what is lacking. Would work as a 90s but this 60s is clearly not something that is easily interpreted by everyone, something most ads should aspire to. Caught the 30s at couple nights ago and that’s even worse. If it was just stripped back to the swimming coach angle it would be enough. This is a classic case of over-egging.
The penguin is a swimming coach, an entrepreneur and a home buyer… feel like you got the story just fine. Idiot.
Am I wrong in thinking this is the penguin getting glimpses of his future? That’s why I quite liked the fast pace. The brief may have had too many bank boxes to tick but other than that it worked.
It’s actually quite good. For those who hate, stew in your own ineptitude.
It’s good. Nice, fun, simple. Is there another local ad with a penguin in it? So what? There are probably other local ads with people in them too. In the other ad, does the penguin become such a success through making swim caps that s/he can buy her/his own home? No? As the more astute comments have said, normal people will think this is charming and like the bank because of it.
People are haters aren’t they, how does this get 47 comments, wayyy too much time on people’s hands. I caught this on TV last night, a shorter version from memory but I like it and I got it, one of the subtle story beats took me the second viewing to get but that didn’t effect my takeout at all, I think that’s what people call layering, making something interesting to watch more than once.
I could see the progression of the penguin, in her life and I assume how the bank helped, home loans etc. The spot stands out for me, I wanted to watch it, I liked the penguin and what she represents. Very good if you ask me, nice craft and really stood out on telly. Killer track.
I can’t take the cutesy crap serious knowing that it’s an ad for a crooked bank. Unfortunately people will probably remember the bankwest logo a long time after they’ve forgotten this flimsy soulless attempt at a story.
why are you so angry?
One would have thought that at least one of the cast of a thousand who worked on this spot would have put their hands up to say the narrative flow isn’t quite working. It starts out ok, but someone falls on the FFWD button somewhere in the middle there…
I love this and having worked on several banks now think it’s refreshing and different for the financial category – why not have a bit of fun? It’s beautifully executed and tells a lovely ‘rags to riches’ story – the team who worked on it should very proud! Most disappointing (but not surprising) is that once again we continue to use this forum of intelligent and creative minds to generate and swap negative, cruel, petty remarks.
We should be celebrating great work and inspiring each other to do better, rather than continually tearing each other apart.
Snap out of it adland! We’re our own worst enemy!
I’m not an ad person. I just love the ad. Best one on TV. Sassy, fun, super cute. Makes me happy. Makes me want to change banks
Love the OOH. Clean and different. I like the TVC too – I got the ‘big dreams’ thing straight away, but then again I didn’t analyse the life out of it…
Please don’t call this hate. I was drawn to this post by the number of comments. I didn’t understand the spot at all. I don’t dislike it but I’m sorry I didn’t get it. Perhaps a little too subtle for this old timer. Just an opinion.
You guys rescued this one…
I feel Saatchis needed to hit this one out of the park. It’s been so long since I’d heard from them and to be honest I wasn’t even sure there was a Melbourne office any more! A glance at their website suggests they were the most effective Agency of the year – in 2015!!! The work featured on their site is nearly 5 years old! This brand campaign came to them at an opportune time to work on a bank brand outside the big 4. It was their big chance to emerge from the shadows and show the industry what they’re capable of. I’m sure they would have thrown the kitchen sink at this and unfortunately, either by design or perhaps through stakeholder feedback, they’ve fallen a little short of the mark with this work – in my opinion. Not to worry though, 2025 isn’t too far away.
I like the render. Came out nicely.
There’s a lot going on in this spot so you really need to concentrate to follow the narrative. That’s a big ask these days.
As usual, the blog is overrun by bed wetters and edm jockeys. Lets clear a few things up. Financial institutions, like Bank of Melbourne, do not make comms platforms of this scale without rigorous testing. I’d suggest this particular piece of work was tested at concept stage, most likely pre-production with animatics and definitely post. If your having trouble understanding the narrative, know that thousands of consumers, yes regular folk eating sandwiches, did not. Now, back to your cubicles, there’s an mrec that needs resizing.
That last comment reeked of defensiveness… Here’s hoping your Client isn’t reading this mate! Not just because of ‘your’ spelling, but also because it reads like the post of a worried senior creative….
This f**king track tho…10 points for just getting that over the line!
Bang on. GoT complexity in a TV spot. What ever happened to ‘simple works best’?
Really like this ad team. Well done. What’s up with the debate on this website? Slow news day in Australia?
Yep campaigns for the pride of one. Unprompted, the average person won’t tell these apart even if the discerning eyes on this forum can.
You must be one of the snake oil salespersons that was apart of the “rigorous testing” lol… maybe you’re the one who came up with the idea of using a cute penguin (who doesn’t like penguins) to try and hide the fact the whole banking industry is under fire, royal commissions, low consumer confidence, deception etc… Gross.
Does seem ‘common sense’ is in the know. Damage control? I smell a revision around the corner for you. Debrief will read as follows: “make it bloody work”.
I love the ad. I adore the penguin and choice of music. Best ad on TV. even cute than Alexander the Mercato from compare the market. More sassy penguin please. Love love love . Makes me happy
I love the advertisement.
BOM is the sure shot