Since 1997, Tangerine has worked to give Canadians an alternative to the Big 5 banks for its nearly two million clients. However the direct bank found that there was a large and growing population of "direct- ready" Canadians – people who were already comfortable with online and mobile banking, but who still did business with one of the traditional banks.
Equity research showed that while existing clients adore the brand, prospective customers lacked familiarity with Tangerine's purpose. They recognized that the brand is innovative and progressive, but also viewed it as somewhat cold and ethereal. Ultimately, this lack of familiarity with the human side of Tangerine meant that prospects didn't believe the brand's intentions were different from the Big 5, even if its products were.
So Tangerine worked with John St. to reinforce the purpose behind its offering and to inspire Canadians to view banking in a new light.
Research suggested that most Canadians view banks as identical to one another, creating inertia around switching. Canadians perceive banks as large, profit-oriented institutions that are in the business of making money. The brand and agency decided to show Canadians that Tangerine is actually in a different business than the traditional Big 5 banks.
The "Hard Work" campaign was created to reframe what people should expect from their bank.
The campaign launched in January 2016 and celebrated what hard work looks like across Canada, while positioning Tangerine within this context. It began with a 60-second anthemic video that showed how hard Canadians work to make a living, before asking viewers whether their bank puts in similar effort on their behalf. An original recording of an "Army Marching Cadence" track set the backdrop for the hard-working Canadians portrayed on screen. The "Hard Work" anthem was supported on TV, in cinemas, OOH and online.
In just one month following the campaign's launch, Tangerine saw a 3% increase in unaided brand awareness and a 7% increase in overall brand opinion. The bank has also seen a 21% increase in new clients since the campaign's launch, putting the bank well ahead of its acquisition target, despite the emergence of new direct banking competitors with aggressive introductory offers (Zag Bank and EQ Bank).
