UK bank Aldermore briefed us to create a multi channel campaign putting them front of mind with property developers and targetting experienced house builders and developers looking to fund their next project.
Although property development is an established sector within the mortgage market, finance is largely perceived as hard to come by, with arduous processes and restrictive criteria.
mark-making* set out to dispel these myths with campaign creative that established Aldermore as the go-to bank for property developers, with a real appetite to do business.
The campaign launched with ‘The Builder’s Bank’ creative across trade press, banner ads and direct mail. This used a strong headline to clearly communicate Aldermore’s offering in the market context, positioning them as straightforward experts in their field.
The body copy recognised the challenges experienced by developers and presented a simple solution to funding challenges. ‘The Builders’ Bank’ was used as a copy sign copy, to reinforce Aldermore as the go to bank for the house builder sector and underpin their brand positioning as SME champion.
After a three month period, the campaign was refreshed with a new creative – ‘Build With Aldermore’. The strong headline positioned Aldermore as a supportive, driving force behind property developers, helping them to build their projects and grow their businesses. The message was sandblasted into a real house brick, for maximum visual impact. This phase was delivered through a series of full page and bookend press ad and email, as well as a memorable direct mail pack.
2000 developers received an intriguing looking mailing box. The pack contained a flyer, inviting them to take the stress out of funding their next development. The outer mailing label and flyer cover deliberately omitted any Aldermore branding, in order to create greater impact with the powerful ‘Build with Aldermore’ messaging on the inside.
The message was reinforced again as the flyer was removed, revealing the Aldermore stress brick – a mini house brick toy featuring the ‘Build With Aldermore’ line. The stress brick was a fun gift for developers to keep on their desk, help maintain Aldermore front of mind and serve as a reminder of the flexible, stress-free finance options on offer.
