What’s the secret to success at a bank long known for the quality of service it provides? For First Citizens Bank, it’s the people who deliver that service on a daily basis. That’s the foundation of our new TV campaign for the bank. It’s called “Pride.”
Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, the new advertising puts First Citizens associates in the spotlight to give their unscripted perspective on what drives the brand’s focus on the human side of banking.
“When you spend any time around First Citizens, you can’t but help but feel the sincere commitment their team has to the people they help,” said Mark Lantz, Factory executive creative director. “The time was right to let those people tell the story in their own words.”
The campaign is built around a series of interviews conducted by Morris – the Academy Award winning documentary, feature film and television director who does commercial work out of Moxie Pictures – with First Citizens associates from across the bank’s footprint. In a series of :30 and :15 second commercials, the employees give a behind-the- scenes glimpse at the way First Citizens approaches the people part of the money business.
The campaign launched with a special :60 second commercial that aired on regional broadcasts of the Academy Awards in the bank’s key markets in the Carolinas. The anthem spot features all the associates who took part in the interviews. Their theme: The meaning of the brand’s slogan, Forever First.
In addition, five :30 spots and three :15 spots begin airing in March. They will also be featured in an online effort and through First Citizens’ social media. The campaign was edited by Igor Kovalik, who has supervised post production on all our First Citizens television.
Founded in 1898 in North Carolina, First Citizens today has over 500 branches in 21 states. Headquartered in Raleigh, it’s now the largest family controlled bank in the country, having been led by three generations of the Holding family. The new TV represents the next chapter in the bank’s Forever First brand campaign, which debuted in September 2013.
“Errol’s been a hero to us over the years because his work feels so personal and true,” Lantz added. “It was a thrill to be able to have him bring what he does to this brand we all care so much about.”
