Bank of Ann Arbor
Bank of Ann Arbor is a locally owned and operated bank, helping the people, businesses, and communities of Southeast Michigan.
It’s their mission to help their customers achieve their financial goals and make local communities a better place to live, work, and play. And they’ve grown to become one of the most successful banks in the United States. When we started working with Bank of Ann Arbor in 2006, their total assets were $880 million. Today, it’s $3 billion.
BRAND STRATEGY
Locally grown.
Bank of Ann Arbor opened its doors in 1996, with one branch and 15 employees. Its unique position as an independent community bank sets it apart from regional competitors—large enough to support businesses of any size across industries, yet nimble enough to develop personal client relationships that go well beyond the balance sheet.
Bank of Ann Arbor was born out of the idea that local bankers know the market and community better. Living and working in the communities they serve gives them unique insights and the ability to build relationships. Funds from deposits and loans are reinvested back into the community, not out-of-state like big banks.
However, many personal and commercial banking customers view banks as interchangeable. Big brand-name banks make them feel more secure, and offer more products and services.
Services
Brand Strategy
Print Ads
Outdoor
TV
Radio
Collateral
Digital Advertising
Website Design
Logo Design
Tagline
Social Media
Annual Report
Bus Wrap
"Our mission was to convey the value of a locally owned and operated bank."
BRAND POSITIONING
Your friendly neighborhood bank.
In stark contrast to distant megabanks and online lenders, Bank of Ann Arbor powers a positive cycle of economic growth that makes local communities a better place to live and work. Bank of Ann Arbor helps businesses start, expand and thrive, which puts more money back into the community. They assist homebuyers in the mortgage process, bringing growth and stability to neighborhoods. And they donate time and resources to hundreds of local nonprofits, charities, schools, events, and organizations.
We worked with the Bank of Ann Arbor team to identify their brand attributes as approachable, honest, smart, and helpful. We likened Bank of Ann Arbor as your financial neighbor, who knows and invests in Ann Arbor for the betterment of the community.
A bank that’s not too big. Not too small. Just right. Providing all the products and services you need, without the hassles and bureaucracy of dealing with a large corporate bank. To put it simply, Bank of Ann Arbor helps.
BRAND ROLLOUT
Help is all around.
Since 2006, we’ve been cultivating a distinctive brand identity for Bank of Ann Arbor that highlights their community-minded spirit. Their lime green “helps” campaign has been unequivocally un-bank-like. No interest rates are shown. Along with no stock photography. Boiling their brand essence down to one word opened up possibilities for branding with true versatility and stopping power. Through five campaigns over nearly two decades, Bank of Ann Arbor has delivered their “helps” message in different–but closely related–ways.
Pistachios and Bigfoot.
The newest campaign acknowledges that while Bank of Ann Arbor can’t help you with the little things in life, such as opening a closed pistachio, they’re really good at helping you and your community in major financial ways. This campaign provides the flexibility for Bank of Ann Arbor to promote its products, technology and services, along with recognizing the local businesses and nonprofits they support, across all types of media. It’s a story only Bank of Ann Arbor can tell, and the message continues to resonate.
Ready to roll?
Got questions? Want to chat without a sales pitch? Complete this form or email Ernie Perich directly at periche@perich.com.