Gatehouse Bank
Television debut
‘A different way’
TV debut of Gatehouse Bank’s new brand extends reach by up to 2 million among the UK Muslim population.
The challenge
Following on from their recent rebrand, Gatehouse Bank commissioned us to create a 30-second TVC on the Islam Channel to promote their offering to the wider UK Muslim population. This would be the TV debut of their new brand and Gatehouse’s first foray into television advertising.Our brief was to help Gatehouse make the most of the opportunity to raise further awareness of them as a modern Shariah-compliant bank and showcase their range of services and products.
The solution
Research looking at competitor TVCs informed our choices: helping us to ensure that Gatehouse’s ad stood out in the context of the Islam Channel and was as effective as it could be.
We differentiated through both visuals and audio. We proposed cinematic lifestyle photography for an emotive approach. The greyscale palette we defined in the brand guidelines worked in our favour. It contrasted with the other ads, highlighted the Islamic green, and accentuated the more traditional corporate blue of the Gatehouse marque, making it stand out. The use of the Gatehouse arrows throughout served to create a feeling of energy andforward movement.
Our choice of footage included a diverse range ofscenarios and people – a mix of ages, but also contexts – demonstrating that Gatehouse is for everyone. We worked to make sure the footage was in line with the brand’s personality and values, while also remaining sensitive to Shariah principles. The female voiceover was also a conscious decision. This made Gatehouse’s ad distinctive among the other male-voiced TVCs and, again, helped to reinforce Gatehouse Bank’s more modern outlook.
In terms of the script, our priority was to emphasise Gatehouse’s brand message, “A different way”.It articulates their unique approach and offering as a modern Shariah-compliant bank, a contrast to their more traditional competitors. Balancing the impactful expression of the brand with additional information about Gatehouse’s products and services was a challenge. We emphasisedthe brand identity but also included messaging about Gatehouse’s offering to tease the viewer and prompt themto find out more.
The results
The campaign is currently ongoing, so it’s still too early to gauge the full impact. However, the feedback to date has been very encouraging. The client was delighted with the TVC. It not only encapsulated the brand vision they were seeking but has also had a measurable impact to date: enquiry levels have increased since the advert aired, with new customers citing the TVC. Website traffic has also increased and it’s having an impact beyond the primary target audience: both competitors and other third-party businesses have commented on the ad.
Alan Roderick Head of Marketing, Gatehouse BankUpon receiving the brief mark-making*challenged our thinking rather than just taking it at face value. This approach raised the bar in terms of both creativity and production values. The results exceeded our expectations with the adachieving standout among the intended target audience.