Santander targets females with 'more human' marketing strategy

Santander has overhauled its marketing strategy in favour of a more "human" approach to appeal more to female consumers.

Santander: moving away from previous corporate image advertising
Santander: moving away from previous corporate image advertising

The Spanish-owned high-street bank is moving away from the of previous ads, which has been deemed too "corporate". In its place is a new campaign, created by Euro RSCG London, which more explicitly emphasises the benefits of its products to customers.

The new ads, which launched this week, promote Santander's 123 Current Account and Major ISA products. The former account promises to offer customers between 1% and 3% in cashback on direct debits to council tax and water, gas, electricity and communications providers, as well as interest payments between 1% and 3%, dependent on balance.

The TV execution features a voiceover stating, "You play, you save. You spray, you save. Stay in bed all day, you save", with flashing clips of real people and fictional characters, to convey the message that customers can save both when they are trying to, and when they are not.

Keith Moor, UK marketing director at Santander, told Marketing it was important to add a greater "human" element to its advertising.

He said: "While our previous campaign was engaging and memorable, the feedback is that it was a tiny bit corporate. The new creative allows us to be slightly more human and more feminine."

Santander, which has previously focused its advertising around brand ambassadors such as Formula 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and , will look to better integrate the use of the sportsmen with product messages.

Moor added: "The sponsorship assets have been very useful and we will definitely continue to use Jenson and Lewis, but it is important not to make a positioning just out of them,"

The current campaign was created by Euro RSCG, but Engine Group will remain Santander's "strategic partner", with campaigns divided up between the agencies on a project-by-project basis.

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Advertising Intelligence Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content