Tiny Is the Financial Elephant in the Room in TSB's Money Confidence Campaign

McCann London, award-winning creative agency, has today launched a new brand campaign for UK’s friendly bank, TSB. Starring new brand character Tiny, the campaign reassures people that the financial elephant in the room needn’t be so scary when you talk to TSB’s Money Confidence Experts, who are there to help individuals feel more confident with their money and get more out of life. 

With 77% of British people feeling worried about the rising cost of living, and of these, over 50% worrying nearly every day , TSB’s Life Made More brand platform has evolved in a way that acknowledges the economic situation people find themselves in whilst staying true to TSB’s positive and uplifting tone of voice. Importantly, this campaign helps them stand out from the competition as the bank that’s more human than the fintechs and more personal than the big banks.

Emma Springham, chief marketing officer at TSB said, “This has been the dream opportunity to step back and look directly at what our purpose is. Our purpose is to help all individuals, existing customers or not, feel more confident with their money so they can get more out of life. We set out to ensure people know they can turn to us for help if they have money worries, to embrace the elephant in the room that for so many impacts every aspect of their lives including mental health. In a competitive market we briefed McCann to be brave and bold, and to create something likeable with longevity. I think Tiny has done just that. We took inspiration from the well-known phrase ‘elephant in the room’ and have created a standout brand character that with any luck will be with us for a long time to come. This is just the beginning.”

Where McCann London’s previous creative focused on the 'Life' part of Life Made More – celebrating the small life moments made better when you felt confident about your money – the new campaign this year focuses on the 'More'. Created by Christopher McKee and Richard Morgan, it illuminates how by talking to TSB and addressing the elephant in the room, TSB can help you squeeze more life out of your money. 

Richard and Christopher, creative directors at McCann London said, “As a nation we find it notoriously difficult to talk about our dosh. Which led us to the creation of Tiny, the ‘Elephant in the Room’ with a difference. Once you open-up about your money worries, that seemingly overwhelming elephant doesn’t seem so scary. Less towering beast over this month’s takeaway bills, cuter companion helping you devour some satay sticks. Tiny is the best friend you didn’t know you needed, inspiring confidence in the face of cost-of-living adversity. A reminder that once you face your fears, they will often feel less daunting and a little easier to manage. Like a tiny elephant.”

The campaign was born out of a raft of reasons that people are currently struggling with to feel good about their money. Against a backdrop of media and Government messages advising consumers what and how to cut back, British people are finding it disproportionately difficult to talk about money problems. In other words, money worries have become the unspoken elephant in the room for a lot of people. The campaign highlights that TSB is taking a different approach by focussing on how to maximise what you have instead of on cutting back. It supports and reassures consumers and shows how achievable a Life Made More is if you address the elephant in the room, talk about your money worries, and start to feel more in control of your finances.

McCann London partnered with John Nolan Studios for the creation and build of Tiny. She is a fabricated puppet filled with animatronics to give realistic facial and trunk movements. Weighing 9.5 kilos, and at 50cm tall, she required nine puppeteers to steer her on the shoot led by Puppet Captain Robert Tygner.

The campaign is led by two hero 30” spots. This year’s voice over continues the light-hearted tone of voice that the agency introduced in 2021 via David Schwimmer. 

Media agencies the7stars and Smithfield Agency are leading media planning and buying for the Retail and Business divisions of TSB respectively. 

The retail campaign launches across AV, digital, TikTok and Branch. the7stars have partnered with Channel 4 to launch Tiny in a truly integrated and creative format using the well-known and recognisable Channel 4 blocks to piggy-back fame for the new character. Tiny will interact with the blocks during 5” blipverts across an ad-break, bringing Tiny to life in a different way before introducing the new 30” ad at the end of the break. The takeover will feature in three of Channel 4’s most-popular peak spots – including Gogglebox and Celeb Bake Off. The broader AV approach has been adapted to lean into an increasingly fragmented landscape, introducing Netflix alongside TV, BVOD and Connected TV. Smithfield Agency introduce Tiny to their digital-first approach to engage with TSB’s Business Banking audience across online environments. The mix of social, online display, and video allows the campaign to reach the relevant B2B audience at scale, bringing TSB and Tiny closer to commercial banking customers who want to talk about the elephant in the (business) room.

Tiny, star of the campaign, said, “As a two-hundred-year-old metaphorical idiom and proud elephant in the room, I’m often misunderstood. Luckily TSB has given me a stage to change all that. I think people will see me in a different light. Quite literally. I look flippin’ fantastic on camera.”