The Co-operative Bank launches next phase of ‘Withdraw From This’ climate campaign with outdoor takeovers
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The Co-operative Bank is continuing to raise awareness of the role some bank’s play in supporting the fossil fuel industry – and the need for consumers to hold who they bank with to account on this issue and ‘Withdraw From This’ – with a series of out of home (OOH) advertising takeovers.
The outdoor activations are the next phase of the ‘Withdraw From This’ campaign, which launched last month with a dramatic TV advert which exposes how many banks are contributing to the climate crisis by using their customers’ money to invest in fossil fuel projects.
The advert urges people to withdraw their money from climate crisis funders and instead join The Co-operative Bank – a bank that hasn’t financed fossil fuel production for over 20 years.
The Co-operative Bank is driving home its message with a series of OOH takeovers at train stations and sites across the UK, including Manchester Piccadilly, London Euston, London Waterloo and Westfield Shopping Centre.
Developed by DENTSU CREATIVE, the creative agency behind the campaign, the OOH activations feature hard-hitting images of the devastation caused by climate change, including a melting iceberg with an ATM attached and the stark message, ‘Withdraw From This’. The outdoor ads include both static and digital executions.
Research by The Co-operative Bank shows that over two-thirds of UK adults (70%) are currently unaware of what their bank invests in, but that most would be willing to switch to a more ethical bank with better climate credentials. In addition, over half (57%) agree that the country’s Net Zero targets should not be compromised – despite the current energy crisis and the rising cost of living.
The Co-operative Bank is currently the only UK high street bank with a customer-led Ethical Policy, which means that its customers’ values shape who the bank finances. Last year, The Co-operative Bank was awarded the best ESG score (Environmental, Social and
Governance) of any UK high street bank for the second consecutive year, by ESG ratings agency Sustainalytics.
To support the new campaign, The Co-operative Bank is urging consumers to visit Bank.Green, a growing movement that aims to put pressure on banks to divest from fossil fuels. Concerned customers can use the site to find out more about the fossil fuel investment practices of their current bank, then sign up to pledge that they will not fund fossil fuels by moving their money away from climate crisis funders.
Deborah Darlington, Brand, Marketing and Communications Director at The Co-operative
Bank, said: “We have already seen in the initial reaction to the ‘Withdraw From This’ campaign that the public has real concerns about fossil fuel investments in the UK and their impact on the environment. This debate is playing out on a national stage too, amid concerns about the government’s plans to increase the extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea and lift the ban on fracking.
“As an ethical bank, we’re proud to be at the forefront of the sustainable banking movement, showing people that they can use their own money to achieve a cleaner, greener future. Our new outdoor activations are a powerful way of getting the message across.”
Sara Pouri, Creative Director at DENTSU CREATIVE, said: “The ‘Withdraw From This’ campaign is an unapologetic education to help people understand their banks could be funding fossil fuel projects without them realising. These projects contribute to global warming, so we wanted to give the people a sense of the destruction happening in real time – melting ice caps – to land our message in an urgent way, as well as the solution – joining The Co-operative bank.
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CREDITS:
CLIENT: The Co-operative Bank
ADVERTISING AGENCY: Dentsu Creative
MEDIA AGENCY: Hearts & Science
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Simon Lloyd
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Sara Pouri
CREATIVES: Tom Prendergast and Joe Stamp
MANAGING PARTNER: Julie Chadwick
SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Nicola Steel
HEAD OF STRATEGY: Tony Evans
AGENCY PRODUCER: Lou Bent
DIRECTOR: Ant Rubinstein
POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Absolute X Blind Pig
For further information please contact:
Head of Communications UK & EMEA, DENTSU CREATIVE
veronique.rhys.evans@dentsu.com
+44 07773131194
ABOUT DENTSU CREATIVE
DENTSU CREATIVE is Dentsu International’s new and sole global creative network that transforms brands and businesses through the power of Modern Creativity. 2022’s Cannes Lions Agency of the Year, it is made for integration with Dentsu’s Media and Merkle networks through Horizontal Creativity. Led by Dentsu International’s Global Chief Creative Officer Fred Levron, 9,000 creatives across the globe work are connected to 34,000 media and CX experts to deliver ideas that Create Culture, Shape Society and Invent the Future. EMEA is the fastest growing region within DENTSU CREATIVE, bringing together over 2500 people in 29 markets, including centres of excellence in Brand, Experience, Entertainment and Earned Attention. The UK is the biggest market in EMEA.
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