Business Banking's Latest Innovation? Human Beings

Watch out, cutting-edge technology, flesh-and-blood people are primed to take your jobs!

Not really. Still, Sara at FirstBank seems nice. She’s available “in black suit, blue suit and casual Fridays,” repping the personal touch apparently craved by business customers.

Sara appears in new work from TDA Boulder, offering “human interaction, empathy and actually caring about your business.”

Are we sure she’s not computer-generated? These days, you never know.

“We have a longstanding philosophy to do right by our customers and communities, which is why the first option on our 24-hour call center and business banking services is to speak directly with a person,” says Dave Fisher, president of marketing at FirstBank. “Our customers have poured everything into maintaining and growing their business; they should expect that same level of commitment from their bank.”

The ad below redefines A.I. as “actual intelligence.” Take that, ChatGPT!

He looks strangely fearful, as if expecting some A.I. to administer a painful mind probe during his lunch break. Just my technophobia flaring up, no doubt.

The campaign drops this week, promising “The technology you need. The humans you want.”

It’s a fun approach that addresses real customer concerns in a relatable way. Developed as a goof on smartphone commercials, the work stands on its own. It’s sleek and just this side of schlocky, a slick mix from ArtClass director Ryan Ebner. The approach stands out in the category, but not like a sore thumb, as we saw with Simplii Financial’s extremely odd outing a few weeks back.

“In a world of automation and digitization, we’re proud to present FirstBank as the pioneer of the ‘human bankers’ revolution,” says TDA partner and creative director Jeremy Seibold, “We are lucky to have a client who understands what their strongest asset is and is willing to have a powerful point of view. In a category known for mediocre advertising, FirstBank has consistently pushed us to rise above.”

He adds: “We have a great relationship with the director, Ryan Ebner, and he always brings a lot of great energy and insight to our jobs. Ryan was the one who thought we could push the work into the world of cell phone/technology launches” as a form of satire and differentiation.

CREDITS

Client: FirstBank
Campaign Title: “The Humans You Want”

Agency:  TDA Boulder
Agency Location: Boulder, CO
Executive Creative Director, Partner: Jonathan Schoenberg
Creative Director: Jeremy Seibold, Maru Bernal
Senior Copywriter: Kyle Rathod
Art Director: Matt Cavallo
Executive Producer:  Dennis Di Salvo
Brand Supervisor: Whitney Uribe
Brand Manager: Kyle Morgenbesser

Client Credits:        
President of Marketing: Dave Fisher
Executive Vice President: Tara Winward
Director of Public Relations: Chandra Brin
Marketing Analyst: Jordan Pinelli
Marketing Specialist: Karami Chapa
 
Production Company: ArtClass
Director: Ryan Ebner
Producer: Brian Bennihoff
Executive Producer: Rebecca Niles
 
Editorial Company: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Brian Gannon
Assist: Nick O’Neill
Producer: Lucia Villalta

VFX: Rusty Ippolito, MakeVFX

Audio Record & Mix: Paul Hurtubise, Margarita Mix
Music: Cordovan Music