New ad campaign launched by Nationwide

Nationwide Building Society launches a new ad campaign called 'Voices of the People' 

Nationwide Building Society launches a new direction for its advertising that celebrates the voices and stories of ordinary people, speaking up for what matters in society today. The ads seek to make the concept of a building society even more relevant to a new generation of members.

Nationwide was founded over 170 years ago on the principle of helping ordinary people to come together to accomplish something they could not achieve alone. Whether it was to save for a rainy day or to fulfil an ambition to own a home of their own, giving a voice to ordinary people to help them achieve their ambitions is deep in Nationwide’s roots.

The first film by Hollie McNish, which will be aired during The X Factor on ITV on Saturday 17 September, focuses on the experience of being a mum, and aims to show how Nationwide understands the decisions that parents take when it comes to their children. It also underlines Nationwide’s credentials as a trusted children’s savings provider.

The second discusses the theme of loneliness in a connected world – showing how Nationwide understands that, despite the benefits of digital technology, people still want to speak to each other face-to-face – underlining Nationwide’s commitment to continue to invest in branches and its people.

The third focuses on the feeling of owning a place to call to home, supported by Nationwide’s commitment to helping first time buyers.

Both the second and third films will air on Sunday 18 September.

All the commercials end with the line ‘14 million members, building society, nationwide’.

The campaign was developed by the Society’s lead creative agency VCCP with media planning and buying by Havas Media. It is the first major work to launch under new CMO Sara Bennison.

Sara Bennison, Nationwide’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Nationwide has one of the best brand stories that has never been told, it is a brand of the people, by the people, for the people. So what better way to bring this to life than through the powerful voices of spoken word poets.

“The voices of ordinary people are rarely heard within financial services advertising today. These ads provide an opportunity for Nationwide to go back to its roots in a powerful, authentic and thought-provoking way while giving people a voice on the things that matter most in their lives. In doing this we demonstrate the deep understanding and deep ethic of care baked into Nationwide as a mutual, while underlining our purpose – building society, nationwide.”

Jim Thornton, VCCP Deputy Executive Creative Director, said: “Each of these poets brings a raw honesty to the words they have written, the subjects they’ve chosen and the way in which they are performed. It’s rare and refreshing to see such authenticity in a world of advertising artifice. Sometimes, advertising is at its most effective when the hand of the client and agency can be least detected.”

The film by Hollie McNish can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/elD6SAPivk4

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