Mr. Big Banker Gives Financial Greed a Face Customers Love to Hate

Campaign for Credit Union of Colorado from Grit pits the 90-year-old not-for-profit financial institution against the bailout big bros

People are fed up with their banks. And for good reason. Stash your cash with one of the big banks and hidden fees nibble away at that nest egg. There are too many economy-crashing scandals to handle, customer service is icy, and tellers never tell it like it is. Despite their disappointment, bank customers rarely get past the mild inconvenience of switching to a member-owned credit union. But it turns out they don’t need to be convinced their bank is bad. They just need to see these money managers for who they really are: fine print in an expensive suit.

A new campaign from the Credit Union of Colorado in partnership with independent creative and design agency Grit, leans into just that, putting a smarmy face to the worst excesses of the financial sector. One who isn’t afraid to be upfront about just how terrible he really is.

From his corner office and fine mahogany boardroom, Mr. Big Banker is all tooth and smile as he gleefully describes financial tricks of the trade, like introductory interest rates and good old-fashioned misdirection. The fees are hidden for you, not from you, he explains, almost with a straight face. Almost.

The campaign is running across digital and social.