HomeEquity Bank: Sold

Credits & Description:

Client (Company): HomeEquity Bank
Clients: Yvonne Ziomecki, Vivianne Gauci, Joe Heale, Niary Toodakian, Carly Whittamore
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Executive Creative Director: Patrick Scissons
Art Director: Shawn James
Writer: Irfan Kahn
Agency Producer: Jac Benoit, Teresa Bayley
Account Team: David Tremblay
Strategic Planner: Tim Hopkins
Media Agency: OMD
Media Agency Planner: Dwayne Mataseje, Mitchell Cornelisse
PR Agency: Nelson Connects
PR team: Jacki Nelson
Production House: Partners Film
Director: Michael Downing
Production House Producer: Gigi Realini, Jill Godbold, Shannon Barnes
Director of Photography: Barry Parrell
Casting Director: Steven Mann
Video Post Facility / Editing Company: Zulubot
Editor: Jay Baker
Compositor / Online: Eric Perrella, Sebastian Boros /Alter Ego
Special Effects: Eric Perrella, Sebastian Boros/Alter Ego
Animation: Ian Flaig /Alter Ego
Colourist/Transfer: Clinton Homuth, assisted by James Graham / Alter Ego
Colour / VFX / Animation Producer: Julie Neff / Alter Ego
Audio Post Facility/Music House: Eggplant Music & Sound
Audio Director: Rocco Gagliese
Producer: Nicola Treadgold
Engineer: Nathan Handy
Photographer: Shereen Mroueh
Published: July 2018
Synopsis:
After posting record mortgage numbers in 2017, HomeEquity Bank, providers of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, announced the launch of a new brand platform today. Created in partnership with Zulu Alpha Kilo, the new brand introduces a redesigned logo, evolved brand positioning, a new visual identity, and a fully integrated campaign that is intended to set the brand up for continued long term growth.
“The Canadian population is aging and many homeowners feel that they have no other choice than to sell the house they love to finance retirement,” says Yvonne Ziomecki Executive Vice President – Marketing and Sales. “Our research has shown that 93% of people over 65 want to retire in their home. We’re tremendously excited about this new direction for our brand because it is about empowering Canadians to live the life they’ve earned.”
The work to kick off the brand relaunch encompasses both traditional and non-traditional creative executions. All of the work tapped into insights gleaned from national research, in speaking to Canadians aged 55+ about retirement planning. In one spot, we see a young couple encouraging their parents to downsize and sell their house before the parents have some fun with that idea by suggesting they move in with the young couple. Another ad shows an overly persistent real-estate agent approaching a house to convince an older couple to sell their home, before they take matters into their own hands. A third spot shows two young parents in front of a house talking about making an unsolicited offer, simply because the homeowner is older. The parents end up getting a lesson from the older, but spry homeowner who overhears the conversation.
To compliment the TV commercials, DRTV with hard hitting messaging, was also produced. In keeping with the brand narrative, the same on-camera characters were featured to help bring consistency throughout the consumer journey. Each execution plays a unique role in educating and empowering retirees to take back control of their retirement dreams. Rounding out the launch was a web site refresh, digital ads, and series of ambient executions that were designed to look like real-estate advertising but instead of speaking to selling or open houses, they use headlines such as: “SOLD On Staying Put.” Similar messages were also applied to tear away posters and door hangers that all pulled from the various executions by encouraging people to stay in the home they love.
“This is about empowering retirees,” says Zak Mroueh, Chief Creative Officer and Founder at Zulu Alpha Kilo. “There is a huge misperception about what it means to be retired. People feel patronized when they’re pressured into something they don’t want to do – like selling their home. We knew that these situations would be relatable to our audience and that we could really strike a chord with them.”