Santander Celebrates Smart Customers for US Openbank Launch

Santander recently launched Openbank in the United States – an expansion that marks a pivotal step in a strategy to enhance digital banking capabilities and extend reach in a high-growth market. Santander Bank, N.A. is expanding its consumer banking business nationwide with, 'You’re smart like that,' a campaign to launch Openbank in its key markets in the US. So, how do you launch a brand in a market saturated with over 4,500 FDIC-insured banks and more than 300 digital challengers, all vying to be the 'best' option?  

You don’t just tell customers how smart your bank is - you show them how smart they are by flipping the script from bragging about features to empowering customers with access to products and technology that make them feel like financial pros.  

Consumers are looking for smart solutions in their lives, especially when it comes to money. The campaign, created in partnership with dentsu, highlights that opening a High Yield Savings Account (HYSA) is a smart financial decision for people who want to make smart money moves, and banking with Openbank is not only smart, but it’s also a simple and secure digital experience paired with a highly competitive APY.  

'You’re smart like that' creates a brand voice and visual identity so striking, it demands attention in a sea of sameness. To do that, we created bespoke illustrations from artist, Luci Guttieriez (based in Spain, home to Santander HQ), who has worked with renowned publications and brands such as The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and Apple, while leveraging Santander’s heritage (red color, typeface, etc) to aid in awareness and backing support.  

Rooted in consumer insights and feedback, the campaign focuses on superior, personalised experiences with the consumer at the heart of every moment – this is a true testament to end-to-end with campaign elements appearing on dynamic out-of-home billboards, social, digital, online video contextual placements on Amazon.com and Netflix through Feb 28th.  

In a world where everyone claims to be the smartest, the real winners are the ones who make their customers feel confident, capable, and above all…smart.  

Maha Madain, Santander Bank, N.A. chief marketing officer said “The launch of Openbank in the US marks a pivotal moment for us as we expand digital banking into a high-growth market, and we couldn’t be more excited to be launching with a brand campaign that truly sets us apart. This is an integrated, full-funnel campaign, built on personalisation at scale with our partners at dentsu – we feel confident that our brand tone and messaging, which flips the script a bit on the traditional banking narrative is going to resonate with our consumers across the country.”  

The launch leverages dentsu’s Merkury and deep research to inform a robust audience playbook, brand and performance creative development, and an end-to-end experience plan inclusive of paid, owned, and earned touchpoints.