NatWest has launched its first campaign since ending its two-decade above-the-line relationship with M&C Saatchi last year, focusing on its free financial education programme, MoneySense.
Created by The & Partnership London and set to This is How We Do it by Montell Jordan, "We are what we do" follows one girl’s victory lap in a car park after collecting a quid from an abandoned shopping trolley.
"We want everyone to feel confident with money so we can all look after the pennies – that's why at NatWest we do money lessons in schools," a narrator declares as the child celebrates her find with magic tricks, with some mild explosions thrown in for good measure.
The ad ends as the girl rejoins her family and her dad asks for his pound back.
It was created by Kate Allsop, Howard Green, Matt Wood and Tom Loveless, and directed by The Bobbsey Twins through Blink. The spot will be supported by social media, out-of-home, press and radio actitvity.
This marks The & Partnership’s first campaign for NatWest since being appointed its lead creative agency. The agency's founder, Johnny Hornby, this week revealed plans to double The & Partnership's size in the next four years.
"We are passionate about equipping people with a more positive mindset and greater capability around their money," Emma Isaac, brand marketing director at NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Coutts, said.
"We know it’s important for people to learn these skills from an early age as it helps them make the right financial choices in later life. That’s why our MoneySense programme has been helping young people, like the incredible little girl in our ad, build a better financial future for over 25 years."
MoneySense has provided financial skills to more than one million children in the UK last year alone, NatWest said.
According to the Money Advice Service, only 43% of young people are confident about managing their cash, while 32% have no experience of putting money into a bank account.
Micky Tudor, executive creative director at The & Partnership London, said: "We wanted to bring a bit of joy, energy and swagger to what can often be a category that at times can appear a little dull.
"Luckily, we found a little girl that embodies the confidence that NatWest is giving kids up and down the county with their free MoneySense lessons in schools."
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment continues to handle NatWest's sponsorship activity, including for cricket, which the bank has supported for the past 37 years, as showcased in the brand’s "Freddie vs Freddie" campaign starring Andrew Flintoff.
Following the emergence of "instances of misapplication of accounting policies" in August 2019, M&C Saatchi fell into what chief executive David Kershaw described as the "most painful" moment in its 24-year history, resulting in a 40% drop in shares, voluntary redundancies and a series of high-profile departures.
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a formal investigation into M&C Saatchi.
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