barrettSF and Exchange Bank Speak Directly to Community Battered by Sonoma County Wildfires

Exchange Bank, a homegrown financial institution that’s been a mainstay of the Santa Rosa area for 128 years, has launched a print, digital video and social campaign in the wake of the devastating North Bay fires of last fall.

The work, from agency barrettSF, emphasises rebuilding the community and helping those affected by the tragedy.

"Sonoma County is not just our place of work, it’s our home and our community” said Craig Bainbridge, Senior Vice President of Product Innovation & Delivery Manager at Exchange Bank. "In the aftermath of the fires, we immediately came together to develop a series of loan programs to support those affected. Figuring out how to respectfully and compassionately communicate our loan programs was our utmost concern.”

Creatively, the campaign focuses on relatable timelines of personal dreams and goals such as, “Get married, buy your first house, have a few kids, buy a bigger house.” “Send the kids off to college, become empty nesters, move to wine country,” and, another example, “Find out you’re expecting twins. Buy a new house in the suburbs. Welcome your third child. Build an addition onto the house.”

Those carefully crafted life plans can be derailed by a natural disaster, the campaign points out, as they were for so many locals in October 2017 when wildfires took the lives of 44 people, burned more than 8,400 structures and caused an estimated $9 billion in damage.

“The North Bay fires put all of our lives on hold. Together, we can help you move forward,” says the campaign tagline.

“One of the joys of working with Exchange Bank is being able to contribute to their community efforts” said Jamie Barrett, co-founder of barrettSF. “This was a labor of love.”

Over the past several months, Exchange Bank has developed five loan programs with flexible financing, designed specifically to address the needs of fire victims.

The campaign, with its simple yet arresting print ads and digital videos, will continue to run in regional publications and online via Exchange Bank’s digital and social platforms.