Who: CIBC with Juniper Park\TBWA; Adhoc (production), School Editing, Fort York VFX, Eggplant Collective (audio); Mediacom.
What: A new campaign for the financial services company’s travel rewards card, CIBC Aventura.
When & Where: The campaign broke on July 29 and is running across TV and online, accompanied by what the company describes as “tactical” out-of-home, newspaper, digital, social and in-branch communications.
Why: The summer campaign is specifically promoting the Aventura Travel Assistant, which CIBC’s senior director of marketing communications, Angela Sarino, says is a “key differentiator” for cardholders. These ads promote specific card features, such as complimentary lounge visits, Nexus fee rebate and mobile device insurance.
CIBC’s research found that Aventura cardholders wanted to be perceived not as tourists, but as travellers eager to experience a deeper connection with a location. The same study found that the Travel Assistant resonated with the target audience, many of whom were surprised to discover it is a free service.
CIBC introduced a new brand positioning around Aventura last year. Sarino said the rebrand lifted year-over-year account sales by 53% and helped CIBC achieve 12% more card signups than anticipated. The slogan, “The travellers travel card,” also became one of the top 10 most remembered slogans in the financial category, she said.
How: The new campaign is anchored by a spot that once again brings the free Aventura Travel Assistant to life. This time, the assistant accompanies Percy and his family on a trip to Morocco (the spot was shot on location), helping them discover local attractions and interact with the locals.
Percy’s back: It’s a bit of a return to familiar ground for CIBC, which received some criticism on Facebook recently for its “Humming” ad (see below) promoting the CIBC Smart Account. That ad featured a woman who goes through her day wearing headphones and loudly humming while dealing with retail employees, Uber drivers, etc.
“This particular commercial is intended as a lighthearted example of what unlimited banking may feel like for some consumers, and we appreciate that it may not represent the sentiment of all viewers,” says Sarino. “All feedback we receive about our advertising is important and taken into account for future planning.”
Percy, meanwhile, has been a success for CIBC since his 2013 debut, even making his way into brand advertising as well as marketing around the CIBC Smart Account and mortgage products.
There have been 8-10 spots featuring Percy since his first appearance in 2013, said Sarino. “He became a distinctive spokesperson for Aventura, breaking through ad clutter.”
