JPMorgan Chase & Co. is kicking off one of its largest campaigns for its consumer banking business this week in an effort to reach the growing number of consumers who bank digitally.
Called "Masters," the push aims to show how Chase's digital banking products -- like mobile banking, ATM check deposits and online bill pay -- make life easier, so customers can spend more time pursuing their passions.
"Ultimately it's about empowering people to live the lives they want," said Donna Vieira, CMO for Chase Consumer Banking. "Our role is really to make it easier for customers … by allowing them to bank on their terms."
Chase chose to highlight its digital offerings in light of a recent shift in customer banking habits. Some 19 million Chase customers use the bank's mobile app, up 20% from last year, according to Chase. Mobile deposits are up 30%, ATM deposits are up 10% and peer-to-peer payments are up 70%, the company said.
"It's the way our customers want to bank," said Ms. Vieira. "We decided we were going to show people how fun and easy it is to do digital banking."
While the products and services pushed in the ads are fairly common, the ads are designed to educate consumers about the bank's full capabilities. For example, customers may know that Chase offers ATM check deposit, but they may not know that they can deposit multiple checks at once and get a receipt for their transactions, said Ms. Vieira.
Competitors like Wells Fargo and Bank of America have also pushed digital products like mobile banking and peer-to-peer payments in recent ads. But Chase's push is meant to showcase its suite of products and services rather than one specific product.
It's part of a broader campaign created by McGarryBowen for JPMorgan Chase & Co. called "So You Can," which began in 2013. It aims to move away from promoting specific products in favor of showing how the bank can simplify consumers' lives.
The "Masters" campaign features tennis star Serena Williams, fencing champion Tim Morehouse, celebrity pet trainer Joel Silverman and the Rockettes.
"What you see in the film is struggle and hardship and the desire for perfection," said Mark Koelfgen, New York chief creative officer at McGarryBowen, about an online video about the Rockettes that is part of the campaign. The agency purposefully selected an electic mix of stars for the push, he said. "We didn't want to have five Serenas. When we looked at the mix, it felt right."
Brian Belectic, known for Adidas' "Unstoppable" campaign as well as his work for Nike and Old Navy, directed the ads.
Ms. Vieira declined to describe the budget for the campaign.
JPMorgan Chase spent $1.88 billion on U.S. measured media in 2013, the most recent full year for which a figure is available, according to the Ad Age DataCenter.
The "Masters" campaign includes a primary 60-second spot and four 30-second iterations as well as digital video and social elements. The campaign will be reflected in Chase branches with signs and music from the ads. And Chase will sponsor content in Time's "Fortune," "Real Simple," and "Time" magazines, including advice columns by leaders in related fields such as entrepreneurship, interior design and life coaching, accompanied by digital display ads online. Some elements are also aimed at multicultural audiences or the small business market.
The campaign started Sunday during Major League Baseball opening day coverage on ESPN2 and will appear in certain markets Monday during the NCAA Basketball Finals on CBS. The ads featuring Ms. Williams will be pushed during the U.S. Open as part of Chase's sponsorship, and those with the Rockettes will air during the holiday season.
"Like any good story, you unveil new chapters as the story goes along," said Ms. Vieira. "[It's] one of the things we wanted to do to keep the campaign fresh."
In addition to McGarryBowen, which led the campaign's creative, a team of shops worked on the project's content and creative, including Roar, Bradley and Montgomery, Bandujo, Zubi, and InterTrend. Zenith and Rezonate handled the media.
