TD Bank's 'Unexpectedly Human' campaign is a delightful combo of absurd passwords, smooth dance moves and donated ad space

Ever finally remember an online password and wonder how you even came up with it in the first place? Bigbandlover42? Must have been during that ill-considered swing phase in college. In TD Bank’s latest campaign from TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, a couple rummages through the detritus of one of their social lives, memorialized in passwords. The man's penchant for rollerblading lives on in the password for the cable bill, though it’s doubtful he’s skitched in decades. The shibboleths become increasingly absurd with each bill his partner tries to pay: a backwards alphabet, a list of seafood in no comprehensible order. Rather than repeat the process each month, wouldn’t it be easier to let TD’s Bill Pay option handle it all instead? The campaign, called “Unexpectedly Human,” highlights ways the bank makes it easier to get on with life, without bending over backwards to accommodate strict schedules (they’re called “banker’s hours” for a reason) or logistical hoops. Over the years, TD Bank has leaned heavily into promoting its long branch hours, including weekends. In “Dancer,” a bank employee cuts loose once the branch is closed, strutting across the lobby to German technogroup Snap’s ‘90s hit “Rhythm Is A Dancer.” He’s interrupted by customers who are running late but unlocks the door for a last-minute transaction. (If there’s a full video of this actor dancing to the rest of the song, we want to see it.) A series of spots with different endings promotes instant debit card replacements. It’s so simple that there’s time to kill, so the ad cuts to a plug for TreePhilly.org, a real nonprofit group the bank actually supports. Other finales running on social media feature street noise or silly viral videos. The TV spots are directed by Matt Aselton via Arts & Sciences. Out-of-home placements along the East Coast feature localized messaging. A poster in the NYC subway system, for example, wonders “In a city where you can get pierogis at 5am, shouldn’t your bank be open past 5pm?”

TD Bank's 'Unexpectedly Human' campaign is a delightful combo of absurd passwords, smooth dance moves and donated ad space

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