Curtains, '80s Power Suits and Puffer Jackets? House 337 and Pay.UK Say It Might Be Time to Switch

House 337 and MHP Group are set to switch things up for the Current Account Switch Service with a creative and humorous new communications platform designed to encourage current account holders to consider switching their bank account. 

The campaign, 'Maybe it’s time to switch' which goes live in the UK in early January, looks at things people once loved but have stuck with for perhaps too long. From mullets and '90s boy-band haircuts, to '80s power suits and double denim, the campaign adds a touch of fun to necessary life admin. It highlights that just because something was good once, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for you now, just like your current account. 

The new creative communications platform replaces the Switch Guarantee Guy creative, which has been running since 2016, that focused on the smooth and easy nature of switching with the Service. This approach was no longer as resonant with an audience who needed to be persuaded to reconsider their automatic behaviour.

Launching on TV on 14th January, the fully integrated campaign also comprises OOH, cinema, digital, social, influencers and online video. 

Research from Pay.UK who operate the Current Account Switch Service, continues to highlight strong brand loyalty among current account holders, sometimes driven by behavioural inertia. Some say they’ve stayed with their chosen provider because it’s who they’ve been banking with since they became responsible for their own finances, or because it’s the provider their family has always preferred. 

As well as TV and cinema, the campaign has been developed for social platforms, with switching stories being shared to open up the #MyBigSwitch conversation, getting more people talking about switching accounts and their experiences.  

And who knows, as well as switching their bank account it might also make others decide that it’s time to take a trip to the barbers to brave the buzz cut, or a shopping trip to update their wardrobe choices. 

Anthea Hughes, communications delivery manager at Pay.UK, says: “Ultimately, we want people to know that the Current Account Switch Service is here so that you don’t need to settle for the same current account if it’s no longer serving your needs. The campaign line ‘Maybe it’s time to switch, with the Current Account Switch Service’ encourages people to explore other current account options; perhaps there’s one that will better suit their needs now.”

Ross Newton, creative director at House 337, said: “Let’s be honest - people don’t walk around thinking about switching their current account. That’s why we wanted to approach the subject from a new, unexpected angle, and use humour to show that sticking with the same current account is like sticking with the same clothes or hairstyle… forever. In each AV spot, we show our hero characters loving their choice until the point where it suddenly doesn’t seem like such a good idea, and they get mistaken for a bin bag, or smash a priceless vase. That’s when they have their epiphany moment and realise that there are other options out there.”