GOLD

Client: National Bank of Canada

Campaign: Banque Nationale — Campagne REER

Agency: LG2

Creative Director: Gilles Chouinard

Copywriters: Isabelle Cardinal, Caroline Barrette

Art Director: Martin Cinq-Mars

Late each winter consumers get bombarded by communications from financial institutions all offering virtually the same RRSP products. How to differentiate? ‘Simplicity’ was the strategy for Banque Nationale. Drawing on its ‘solidity and credibility’ and Quebec heritage, the bank and agency LG2, set about showing how simple it can be to have financial needs – particularly REER (RRSP) needs – met.

The integrated effort, which ran solely in Quebec from December 1999 to February 2000, targeted existing clients with a $50K+ household income – with or without REERs. In a bid to ‘dominate the market and the media,’ Banque Nationale used primarily radio (employing a heavy rotation at peak periods throughout the day) and print. Print creative showed the simple image or silhouette of a person with copy touting the specific benefits of different products. Coloured banners wrapped newspapers La Presse and Le Soleil, and inserts followed in other publications.

Over 100,000 clients also received DM with offers geared to their particular profiles. Advertising based on key Internet search words was part of the online portion, and a CD-ROM was placed in finance magazine Les Affaires Plus. The effort easily surpassed the objective of achieving 40% more REER placements than the previous year.

SILVER

Travel Alberta International – MC & IT for its ‘Travel Alberta – We Do Things Differently’ direct mail, developed by Bryant, Fulton & Shee Advertising.

MERIT

Q9 Networks Inc. for its ‘Mission Possible’ direct mail package, developed by Glavin & Associates.

MERIT

President’s Choice Financial for its ‘Squeeze Out Bank Fees’ campaign, developed by Lowe RMP.