Credit Union’s Own 'Member-Owners' Are the Stars of This New Campaign

Sarah B.’s passion for photography and Jerome M.’s love of his new car. These are just a few moments captured and celebrated through credit union BECU's new advertising campaign made up of photos and images shared by the credit union’s member-owners, and created in partnership with long-time agency partner DNA.

The new work features actual photography that BECU members have uploaded and shared with BECU for nearly five years. The photos were selected to showcase the real-life moments and milestones that BECU helps its members realise every day from graduations to weddings, to home ownership, travel and more. Each image has a close-up frame that highlights individual faces with their first names tagged below.

The advertising is anchored by a new tag line ‘All Together Different'. The line speaks to the differences of a credit union from other financial institutions, highlighting its distinction as a cooperative that puts its members first, offers lower rates, fewer fees, and member-owner status, among other benefits.

As Stephen Black, vice president of brand strategy explained: “BECU is all about serving our members’ needs and helping them work toward better financial health. As a cooperative, we are uniquely positioned to showcase our membership as a collective, all working together for mutual benefit. ‘All Together Different’ is the perfect theme to share first-hand the inherent difference of our credit union and how we put people over profit. The creative approach provides a truly authentic opportunity for us to showcase our members in moments from their lives.”

The integrated campaign comes as BECU continues to see growth in its membership, reaching more than 1.1 million members. It includes television advertising in greater Seattle and Spokane as well as radio, digital and out-of-home elements all using 100 percent member-submitted assets. 

“When we started looking through the many photos that members share with BECU we found real life, relatable stories,” explained Noel Nickol, creative director at DNA. “Unlike the posed nature of most advertising images, these photos show people as their most honest selves. We came up with the idea of adding a framing device to each photo selected to bring out the humanity in each picture and to take it beyond what one might see in an Instagram post. The campaign is a true celebration of BECU’s members.”

The new advertising will run from the end of January through March 2019.