How bbno$ and a Canadian Bank Dropped a Song Encouraging Financial Responsibility
In Canada, regardless of age, banks are not exactly the most exciting institutions to hear from. After all, reminders of monthly bill payments, emails with promo offers and credit line proposals are not the things that usually spark joy within a person’s life.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s not important to listen to your bank - especially for Canada’s gen z population. Statistically speaking, the country’s young ones often struggle with good financial habits, with many not remembering to pay bills, accumulating debt and damaging credit score in the process. In fact, according to FCB Toronto executive creative director Jennifer Rossini, statistically speaking, 60% of gen z don’t get how a credit card works before they get their first credit card… you can probably see the problem.
To this end, and to underscore the launch of its ‘eclipse rise Visa Card’, bank BMO realised it needed a way to cut through the noise and actually grab people’s attention. Enter superstar Canadian rapper bbno$ (pronounced ‘baby no money’). Together, the two wrote and dropped a song plus music video, ‘Bills Paid on Time’. Chock full of fun details, including financial-related Easter eggs and some subtle references to his other songs, the work serves as a fun way to spread an important message, but beyond that, is just a signature bbno$ banger that has since taken Canada by storm.
To learn more about how this came to life, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with the team from FCB Toronto, including Jennifer Rossini, senior strategist Ally Dwyer-Joyce, VP, client services lead Jessica Lax, associate creative director Angeline Parsons, and senior art director Eric Carriere.
LBB> A BMO-bbno$ collaboration is awesome! Creatively, how did this come to pass, and what was the brief?
Ally> BMO saw an opportunity to inspire better financial habits in young people and help them understand credit by launching a new credit card specifically for gen z that rewards them for paying their statement in full and on time each month. We wanted our target to see this new card as a tool to help reinforce good financial habits. In order to convince them, we had to get their attention, and they generally hate hearing from banks. To even get this target to look our way, we needed to approach the challenge in a way none of them would expect from a financial institution.
LBB> Building on this, how did you get bbno$ involved, and what made him the right spokesperson for this?
Jennifer> It was his name that first drew us in. But beyond that, he’s a viral artist who found fame on TikTok, the platform our target demographic spends the most time on. Not only that, but he has a history of talking about good financial habits. It felt like a no-brainer.
When we approached bbno$, he was super excited about the idea and partnership. When he said he’d always wanted to work with a financial institution, we couldn’t believe our ears. The stars aligned on this one; he was the perfect fit.
LBB> Creating a short music video to emphasise financial literacy isn’t something that gets done every day. As such, what was the writing process like? How did you approach coming up with the various sequences?
Angeline> The brief was very open in terms of the final product, but we did have a few objectives. First, we wanted the track to feel like a bill-paying reminder in itself. Secondly, we were looking for a strong hook that made a TikTok sound-worthy earworm of the good financial habits we were trying to reinforce. And lastly, we wanted bbno$ to reinforce the importance of having good credit in whatever way felt most authentic to him. Otherwise we told him to go to town.
LBB> Equally important - the music itself. Did you just leave this up to bbno$? Or did you have a hand in the composition process?
Angeline> bbno$ understood the assignment. He already had lots of ideas in our initial meeting which was exciting. There were a couple FaceTime sessions with our team to run through lyrics he was working on, and then he went away and came back with a demo. That first demo was pretty close to the final product. He knew it was a bop – he was like, ‘I think I really nailed this one!’.
LBB> Who directed the film, and what made them the right person for the job?
Jennifer> The video was directed by the very cool and talented Shiraz Higgins, who has collaborated on music videos with bbno$ for years. We wanted to make sure everything we did was 100% authentic to what fans were used to seeing from bbno$, so it didn’t make sense to work with anyone else.
LBB> In terms of the shooting process, what was working with bbno$ like? Where did you shoot, and how long did it take?
Eric> Working with bbno$ has been a dream. He is a very authentic presence who’s smart and savvy. He and his team understood completely how to create something that’s cool and appealing to a gen z audience while still being completely brand safe, which is so often an impossible task. Shiraz was also an amazing collaborator!
The video was shot in Vancouver, and it was pulled together very fast; bbno$ is a busy man!
LBB> Are there any Easter eggs in the video fans might want to look for?
Eric> The video was created with financial responsibility in mind, down to the last detail. Everything from the ‘Pay Bill’ sticky notes all over bbno$’s office in the first scene to his old school financial advisor outfits was meant to get the viewer in the headspace of financial responsibility and inspire better habits.
The storyline of the video follows bbno$’s own rise to better financial habits. We see him progress from an office cubicle to getting famous, and finally onto a Ted Talk-esque stage sharing his passion for good financial habits with the world.
Beyond all the financial Easter eggs throughout, there are also call backs and references to some of bbno$’s other songs, to appeal to his already established fanbase.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Jessica> bbno$ is a true artist, and with that comes a deep desire to do and create things his own way. It can be a challenge for any brand or agency to relinquish control of a campaign or creative idea, but we knew if we gave him the freedom to do what he does best, it would pay off in dividends. Now, we’re reaping the rewards for taking that risk.
Our BMO clients have been so incredible and trusting throughout the entire process, despite the uncertainty that comes along with making a bold move like this one. They were looking to break the mould just as much as we were. We took the leap together, and we knew that in order to do it successfully, we had to trust the process every step of the way. Staying close to the work while never hovering over bbno$’s shoulder was the key to our success.
LBB> What lessons have you learned during the making of this campaign?
Jennifer> When you seek someone out specifically to do something new and different, especially when they’re an expert in achieving exactly what you’re hoping to achieve, let them do it their way. It will pay off.
LBB> Since launch, how have people responded?
Jessica> The response from our target has been incredible. We’re at 20 million views and counting. Our video has a 98% positive response rate and thousands of extremely enthusiastic comments to prove it. We really hoped it would be well-received, but never did we expect it to blow up the way it has. It’s currently the second most viewed video on bbno$’s TikTok, we’ve had hundreds of people comment asking for a full-length version, and a tonne of responses reiterating our message of good financial habits. It really has reached its intended audience in the best way possible.
Since the video dropped, we’ve partnered with bbno$, Community, and TikTok to push opt-in text bill-paying reminder texts to fans of the track. The limited-edition vinyl release is also imminent, and we’re working on a live performance. The momentum is still going and we’re along for the ride.
Most importantly, the early acquisition results from the launch campaign are looking fantastic, which is proof in action of one of our mantras at FCB: that creativity is an economic multiplier.
LBB> Finally, do you have a favourite scene from the video? And why?
Jennifer> The final scene on stage really encapsulates the entire goal of this campaign and video. Not only is it hilarious with all the bbno$’s dancing back at him in the crowd, it’s also symbolic of what the ‘BMO eclipse rise Visa Card’ has set out to achieve: climbing to the very top of your financial game and flexing the good habits you’ve created along the way.
