CIBC imagines a stress-free summer

Who: CIBC with Juniper Park\TBWA for strategy and creative, Soft Citizen for production (directed by James Lee), post-production from Rooster, Fort York VFX, OSO for music, and media by MediaCom.

What: “Effortless Banking,” a campaign featuring a decidedly optimistic life-after-Covid message running on the “Ambition Made Real” platform launched by Juniper Park\TBWA last year.

When & Where: The campaign launched last week on TV, and is expanding to digital/online video, social and out of home on July 4.

Why: The past two summers have been far from normal because of Covid, but with restrictions easing, people are eager to get out and enjoy many of the activities they’ve missed.

The campaign presents CIBC as a modern and innovative bank, with digital and mobile banking solutions that make it easy for customers to enjoy those good times, while still able to conveniently manage their money.

“[W]ith restrictions ending, there is a sense of collective optimism in the air as Canadians enjoy a return to favourite excursions and activities this summer,” said Esther Benzie, CIBC’s vice-president, brand and advertising. “CIBC is celebrating this milestone with a spot that speaks to the experiences of many Canadian families, focusing on the joy of saying ‘yes.’”

How: The launch spot shows a father and three kids enjoying a big day out at summer-time fun fair with games, food and rides.

“I’ve had to say no a lot over the last couple of years,” he says. “Yes to everything today: cotton candy, those mini donut thingees, all the rides.” As a fun-filled day turns to a fun-filled night, he checks his CIBC app.

“I’m not even thinking about money,” he says. In the background is the glowing CIBC diamond logo, which has been used since the launch of the “Ambitions” platform as a symbolic portal for CIBC customers to pass through and realize their dreams and ambitions—in this case a stress-free summer while staying on track financially.

“For most Canadians, summer signifies freedom—long weekends, summer holidays, and spending more time with friends and family,” said Paul Little, group creative director, Juniper Park\TBWA. “However, this can result in spending more compared to other times of the year. The aim of this campaign is to capture the spirit of a carefree summer without being careless about your finances.”

And we quote: “The spot reinforces how our bank supports our clients to effortlessly balance spending and saving, to make the most of the summer season. The campaign can be summed up with a proud and confident declaration of ‘Summer is here. Spend it well.’” — Esther Benzie, CIBC’s vice-president, brand and advertising

David Brown