Chesapeake Bank Marks 125 Years with Duck Boats, Crab Cakes, and Virginia Charm
To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Chesapeake Bank and its creative AOR, Familiar Creatures, have doubled down on what made their debut campaign a standout last year: putting real people, real quirks, and real Virginia pride at the centre of their brand.
'125 Years of The Chesapeake Way' is the latest evolution of the brand platform launched in 2024 — one that introduced an Office-esque tone of voice and was shot with an old-school sensibility. This time, the teams took things a step further—filming a hero spot on a duck boat cruising through small towns along the bay, all the while spotlighting the actual employees who’ve kept Chesapeake Bank going for more than a century.
The campaign pairs charming visual storytelling with humour and heart. While most banks rely on sterile service lists or generic stock-style montages, Chesapeake Bank’s approach is unapologetically personal. From social carousels highlighting desk décor and crochet hobbies to cheeky radio spots and banners about crab cakes and bots, the work pays tribute to the bank’s deep-rooted local identity and the community that shaped it.
The campaign’s centrepiece is a 1:45 minute short film that takes viewers on a duck boat tour—not of some flashy cityscape, but of Chesapeake Bank’s actual footprint across small-town Virginia. The long-form film was actually shot to serve two purposes —to be cut down into traditional :30 and :15 versions that air on TV/digital … and to be used as an IRL onboarding film for the bank’s new employees.
Starring the bank’s newest hires and shot on location around the bay, the spot delivers a lo-fi, character-driven narrative that celebrates the company’s 125-year legacy in a nonchalant Wes Anderson style. Familiar Creatures approached the concept like a slice-of-life documentary: part orientation video, part tourism reel, part inside joke. The duck boat itself? Driven by its actual owner, who personally brought it down to the shoot and appears as the driver in the spot—another nod to the campaign’s commitment to realness. The agency also worked alongside local police and small business owners to spotlight the real-life town and its quirks as authentically as possible.
“What makes Chesapeake Bank such a great challenger brand is how much they trust us and how well they know themselves,” said Justin Bajan, co-founder of Familiar Creatures. “When we said let’s make your employee orientation video take place on a duck boat, they bought in right away. Also I’m pretty sure it’s the first commercial with a duck boat in it.”
The :30 TV spot, 'All Onboard,' as well as supporting social spots like 'Is That a Duck Boat?' and 'Neighbors' brings that energy into bite-size formats, emphasising familiarity, warmth, and human idiosyncrasies over jargon or product features. In addition to the film work, Familiar Creatures also spearheaded a flavourful brand stunt: unveiling a 400-pound, 37 in. wide, 9 in. tall crab cake that was revealed to Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball fans and served to the stadium. A :50 second recap reel offers a memorable (and literal) taste of The Chesapeake Way.
“At Chesapeake Bank, we believe in staying true to who we are and celebrating our people because if our employees have a great experience, then so will our customers and communities,” said Matt Suttmiller, AVP, director of marketing at Chesapeake Bank. “The Chesapeake Way is about showing our authenticity and how different of an independent community bank we truly are – and not shying away from it. We’re thrilled with how Familiar Creatures helped bring our genuine personality to life.”
The broader campaign, including print and radio, officially rolls out July 7 with broadcast, OTT, digital, and paid social airing regionally across Chesapeake Bank’s Virginia markets. This is the second instalment of Chesapeake’s ongoing partnership with Familiar Creatures since being named AOR in 2024.
