Vancouver credit union Richmond Savings is once again tapping into customers’ frustrations with financial services companies by using parodies of their advertising to poke fun at Canada’s big banks.

Humungous Bank – the credit union’s fictional representation of the big banks – is back, with radio, print, and new media executions designed to make disgruntled bank customers shake their heads in disgust, and then move their business to Richmond Savings.

‘The idea is to get people’s attention with something that looks like a real ad but isn’t,’ says Chris Staples, senior vice-president, creative director with Vancouver-based Palmer Jarvis Communications, the agency behind the Humungous concept.

‘Once we’ve got them hooked, we make it clear that Richmond Savings is the real alternative to the big banks.’

The new campaign consists of five newspaper ads, four radio spots and an interactive Web site.

Launched in mid-March, the Web site (www.humungous.com) takes an irreverant approach. Visitors have the opportunity to be turned down for a loan or to invest in the Humongous Canadian Inequity Fund (which promotes blue-chip companies all affiliated with Humungous, such as Humungous Vital Organ Sales).

At any time during the visit, users can click onto an ’emergency escape link’ and visit the authentic Richmond Savings site. The credit union claims the site has already had 5,000 visitors.

Meanwhile, one of the print ads features fictional ceo of Humungous Bank, Markus Stoiber, casually holding a tennis racquet while the caption above him reads: ‘Thanks to my bank, all my retirement dreams came true,’ over the tag line: ‘Humungous Bank, your money is our money.’

Richmond Savings is Canada’s third largest credit union. MacKenzie says the credit union’s membership has increased 45% since their ads began running in 1993.