EQ Bank is getting a famous father-son duo to riff on finances and first bank accounts to pry customers away from the Big Five.

Created by The Hive, the “Second Chance” campaign stars Eugene and Dan Levy in casual, comedic kitchen conversations about getting high interest rates with no fees. The campaign marks the first time the father-and-son duo have been featured together in an advertising campaign.

“Not a lot of Canadians switch banks,” says Dustin Rideout, partner and chief strategy officer at The Hive. As Rideout explains, it’s based on the insight that many people still use their first bank account, and that while people know they pay high fees absent any interest, they simply “become apathetic to it.”

It is that tension, he says, that has informed past EQ Bank work, as well as its current campaign.

In fall 2022, the institution’s first “Make Bank” campaign, conspicuously aimed at Canadians who were fed up, was a bit of a rant, Rideout admits. The idea of “less take and more make,” was a broadside fired directly at Canada’s big banks. The whole purpose in that campaign as well as the bank’s current work, was to show the “ridiculousness,” of fealty to the Big Five.

“Our creative team ran with that and came up with hilarious and insightful storytelling, perfect for the Levys,” Rideout says.

The Schitt’s Creek stars collaborated on some of the script work as well.

As Rideout explains, EQ Bank is going after the 24-to-54 set, but that banking dissatisfaction is a pretty universal insight that can resonate with both younger people and their parents.

“Our work has been incredibly successful [for EQ]” Rideout says in terms of helping it grow acquisitions.

The fully integrated campaign is centred around a 30-second TV spot and online video, supported by 15-second TV spots, online videos, out-of-home, social, programmatic video and display advertising, all featuring Eugene and Dan Levy.

“This is a step up from what they’ve done in the past, a credit to the collaboration we have had with them,” Rideout says of the larger brand investment. “They put the challenge to us, let’s take it up a notch [by hiring the Levys].”

The campaign launched this week and is scheduled to run throughout the year. Epitaph is behind the buy.