Space Coast Credit Union
Watchdog Campaign
Your Life. Your Financial Watchdog.
Words alone are not always enough. Our partners at Space Coast Credit Union were ready to bring their brand promise to life. And &Barr was up to the challenge.
Media Buying, Digital Media & Analytics, Creative, Production, Account Service, Public Relations
We expanded on SCCU’s existing brand identity to create an ambassador who goes beyond serving members to build an emotional connection with audiences.
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Bringing a Slogan to Life
When the time came to develop their new brand campaign Space Coast Credit Union was eager to collaborate and &Barr was excited for the opportunity. What started as one creative brief became dozens of concepts that were eventually whittled down to four favorites. Each campaign delivered on SCCU’s core promise:
Honest people. Trusted products. Time valued.
But we didn’t want to decide on a final campaign in a vacuum. We wanted feedback. And that could only mean one thing. Focus groups! Four, to be specific, in two cities over two days. We talked to members and non-members from diverse backgrounds. We gained tons of invaluable insights but, most importantly, we had unanimous alignment on creative direction. Of all our ideas, the campaign that brings SCCU’s slogan, “Your life. Your financial watchdog” to life was the winner. Because we weren’t just mentioning the Watchdog that’s a part of their logo — the campaign made him real in a way everyone instantly connected with.
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All Paws on Deck
With a clear winning campaign, it was time to bring Watchdog to life. So, what did it take? A lot. Thankfully, we had award-winning international partners to collaborate with throughout the process. Edinburgh-based animation studio, Interference Pattern, worked with us through weeks of designs. Designs that kept getting better. And better. And better. Finally leading us to the one character design that had everyone smiling and saying, “Yep, that’s him! That’s our Watchdog!”
Meanwhile, in the real world we were working with our production company, Diamond View. Casting the real-life actors. Looking at locations, wardrobe, props… Everything up to, and including, filming. Finally, after twenty-one scenes, sixty-eight takes in two languages, one leaf blower, and an extremely happy cast, crew, and client, it all came together.
Almost.
Then there was the post-production. Selecting the best takes. Making the perfect edits. Adding Watchdog and making it even better with sound effects that made him feel, well, real, even though to so many of us he already was. Until, finally, we had a Watchdog ready for his debut and eager to serve the members of SCCU.
More than a :30 TV spot, Watchdog’s launch involved a fully-fledged 360 digital media campaign. From billboards and banner ads to the creation of media-rich gamified units, there was no stone left unturned. Each SCCU location was supplied with collateral to be displayed in branch and received a launch box filled with custom stickers, keychains, candy and even an adoption certificate. As the embodiment of SCCU and its newest ambassador, we took great care to weave him into the essence of the brand and all its touchpoints.
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The Dog Days are Here
With Watchdog ready for his first introduction to the world, our Public Relations team paved the road to success. The team developed a communications cascade to launch the campaign efficiently and effectively, which identified each segmented audience, and then determined the right order, timing, and delivery method for the comprehensive plan’s messaging. From developing all internal communications necessary for our client to prepare the SCCU team, including leadership talking points and emails, to creating all external communications including member newsletters, website copy, and press releases.
Using a targeted media list for Watchdog’s announcement, our PR team distributed a press release, pitched media, and secured coverage to ensure awareness. While we’re still running the numbers (and the campaign!), the enthusiastic response to Watchdog makes us confident that he’ll be beloved for years to come.
The Watchdog embodies our commitment to protecting our members’ financial interests. Thank you the &Barr team for bringing our Watchdog to life in a way that far exceeded our expectations!
-Gary Prager SVP, Chief Strategy and Growth Office | Space Coast Credit Union
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