Chime Brings Banking Peace of Mind in First Branding Campaign

Full-service advertising agency barrettSF has created a new, animated brand spot for challenger banking service Chime. The work launched nationally on Monday, July 20th.

During the past two years, the shop has created national, multimedia, product-focused direct response spots for the financial services brand that were primarily focused on driving sign-ups.

This new creative, however, is more emotion-driven. The animated spot highlights the diverse individuals - from a yoga master, a barista, and a barber to a cook who flips flapjacks - who gain more financial peace of mind through Chime’s fee-free banking services.

“Whatever your zodiac, Chime’s got your back,” the ad’s narrator raps as we pan through images of these colourful characters. “Tell your barber, tell your neighbours, tell your first-born son, Chime’s making banking better for everyone.”

The 30-second spot tags with ‘Chime: Better banking for everyone.’ 

barrettSF’s previous work focused on Chime’s unique selling proposition as a helpful, easy-to-use alternative to big banks - one that offers free services, no predatory fees, and floats paychecks earlier than most banks. Chime’s ‘Get Paid Early’ feature allows direct-deposit customers to draw funds as soon as their employer deposits their payroll, which is often up to two days before most financial institutions do. Traditional banks charged consumers more than $34 billion in fees in 2019. Chime has no hidden fees. 

“Chime is a fast-rising brand with a compelling story and very clear set of beliefs. Our job – with this spot and with future work – is to help tell that story in a very clear and compelling way” explained Jamie Barrett, founder and executive creative director at barrettSF. 

As more Americans seek alternatives to traditional banks, Chime has emerged as the clear leader in the Challenger banking segment. Chime’s consumer-friendly approach to banking is especially appreciated right now as members adapt to the impact of living under the global COVID-19 pandemic. As Americans learn to perfect social distancing, avoiding physical bank branches, many are also dealing with uncertainty and stress about everything from their health to their career status and personal finances. While traditional banks charged consumers nearly $34 billion in fees in 2019, Chime recently helped members gain early access to their stimulus payments, spotted more than $1B in fee-free overdraft, and launched CreditBuilder, a new way to easily build credit without fees or interest.  

“We know that people need trusted financial services that are on their side more than ever,” said Melissa Alvarado, chief marketing officer at Chime. “We’ve proven that banking can be free, helpful, and easy to use, and hope this will inspire more people to learn about Chime’s mission and make the switch from fee-driven banks.”