2024 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

BMO needed to connect with a generation of customers that actively ignores them. BMO (Bank of Montreal) is the 8th largest bank in North America, but their customer base was aging and they needed to connect with a younger demographic. However, young adults hate traditional banks. New online options and the desire for personalization have driven many younger millennial and Gen Z customers to turn to fintech and non-banks.

Traditional banks, like BMO, were getting left behind and actively ignored by younger consumers. To reverse this trend and connect with younger customers, BMO needed an initiative to stimulate authentic and active engagement. An ad campaign was not going to resonate, they needed to do something a bank had never done before.

The primary objective was to find a new channel where the bank could connect with younger audiences to provide a level of personalized service and banking capabilities. This new channel needed to drive engagement, elevate brand perception, and ultimately lead non-customers to consider BMO and open new accounts.

In 2022, Bank of Montreal (BMO) successfully planted roots in Twitch, a haven for gamers thriving on anonymity. In 2023, they sought to build on that success, employing the anonymity offered by gaming platforms like Twitch and Discord to encourage gamers under 35 to explore banking without fear, and transition from
discussion to action.

Their objective was twofold: initiate engaging, financial interactions online, and ignite a 10% increase in digital account openings. They hoped to create a world where their target could navigate their financial journey anonymously and confidently.

The strategy was guided by the insight that 37% of their Millennial and Gen Z targets are more uncomfortable discussing personal finances than engaging in political or religious discussions. Further, 59% of Gen Z and 55% of Millennials prefer to engage in anonymous financial discussions online. Clearly, financial apprehension had erected a barrier to financial progress. BMO sought to break down this barrier by transforming their comfort zones — gaming platforms — into arenas for open, anonymous
financial discussion.

Fueled by this insight they launched ‘The Gamer’s Branch’, an innovative and anonymous way to bank, live on Twitch. During live streams, they connected their audience to expert advice and the financial resources they were too embarrassed to ask for IRL. BMO lines-of-business sponsored streams to introduce their growing audience to services like online investing, business banking solutions, and student
financial products.

They extended their anonymous resources even further to Discord, the massively popular gaming social network, with an always-on database consisting of 100s of hours of searchable live-streamed content.

The campaign utilized Twitch, Discord, Twitter, and TikTok, and saw staggering results. There was a 40% improvement in unaided awareness and 100+ hours of searchable Twitch clips developed for Discord.They were able to change perception with a 30% improvement in gaming association and 15% improvement in perception
of innovativeness.

The campaign drive desirer with a 13% increase in new Everyday Banking accounts, 24% increase in student account openings and a 4% improvement in consideration/purchase intent. They also boosted their consumer engagement with over 15,000 hours spent watching BMO live content on Twitch, 123,245 unique views and 8.5 million video views.

In the end, ‘The Gamer’s Branch’ successfully bridged the gap between gaming and finance, transforming a space where gamers were most comfortable into a financial fortress they could bank on.

Credits

Client: BMO
Chief Marketing Officer: Maja Neable
Managing Director, Personal Banking: Mike Stean
Senior Manager, Segments Marketing: Alexis Chen
Gaming Relations Specialist: Sean Frame
Social Media Manager: Kenya Marcelline
Senior Manager, Media Communications: Kate Simandl

Agency: FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
EVP, Global Creative Director: Danilo Boer
Executive Creative Director: Andrew MacPhee, Jeremiah McNama
VP, Creative Innovation: Eli Ferrara
Creative Director: Mike Kotevich
Associate Creative Directors: Caleb McMullen, Hussein Rumaithi
Copywriters: Patrick Gravel, Jacqueline Lee
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
VP, Group Account Director: Jessica Lax
Group Account Director: Hailey Scott
Director, Integrated Production: Maia Spetter
VP, Managing Director: Tim Welsh
Account Executive: Daniella Okezie
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Strategy Director: Stephanie Gyles
Strategy Director: Amanda Soares
VP, Strategy 1:1 Practice Lead: John Fung
Strategy Director, Content: Daisy Qin
UX/UI Tech Specialist: Lara Goldsmith
Full Stack Developer: Lily Han
Jr. Quality Assurance Analyst: Natasha Phillip
Broadcast Producer: Tania Overholt


Augmented Reality Room: FlyAR

Casting: Jesse Griffiths Casting Inc.

Production: Unified Content
Executive Producer: Laurie Jones
Executive Producer: Michi Lepik-Stahl
Director: Tom Feiler
Line Producer: Caitlin Cucco
Director of Photography: TJ Derry
Director of Photography: Adam Madrzyk
Editor: Peter Miller
Assistant Editor: Luke Ionico
VFX: Jay Ryan
Colourist: Kristina Mileska
Online: Rebecca Burtnik
Producer: Rebecca Burtnik

Animator: Brent bergerson, Think Tank Creative

Music/Sound: Oso
Creative Director: Daenen Bramberger
Engineer: Leo Hicks
Executive Producer: Hannah Graham
Producer: Jane Heath

Media Agency: UM
Ryan Hunter – Vice President, Client Business Partner
Sarah Fraser – Senior Director, Connections Planning