Vancity Bank Thinks BC’s Housing Market Should Sing to a Different Tune in Animated Spot

Renovictions, rent increases, signing on to unfair leases… like pretty much all of us, credit union Vancity thinks the state of housing affordability needs to change. In its latest video with TAXI Vancouver, the financial institution is calling out the problem and putting forward what they’re doing to improve the situation. 

The new work comes following the launch of Vancity’s new brand positioning, ‘Financial Force for Change’, in 2021 and is a response to questions from their members around what their money is doing to make a difference. “Almost a third of our members say affordable housing is one of the biggest issues facing Canadians today,” explains Gurpreet Jhaj, VP of marketing at Vancity, “As a Financial Force for Change, we wanted to offer something for British Columbians to rally behind by acting on our values.” 

The film follows a Vancity member, Binita, who goes on an eye-catching animated adventure through the state of housing affordability, while learning about how where she banks can make a difference. 

“We wanted to find an interesting visual metaphor for the experience of trying to find a space to live in BC,” explains James Sadler, executive creative director for TAXI Vancouver. “It feels like we’ve been living with unrealistic levels of housing affordability for too long. Our animation matches that.” 

But it’s not just about showing people how out of reach affordability is in BC. By shifting between two styles of animation, the video jumps between how housing affordability feels for people in BC, and what real actions Vancity and its members are taking to help make a difference. 

Gurpreet continues: “The housing market is influenced by many factors, but we've learned that by acting on our values there are many ways Vancity can make a real difference for people. Whether it’s supporting affordable housing development at our branch sites, providing grants, loans and advice to non-profits, or helping our members make their homes more efficient and comfortable, we're showing that just by banking with Vancity, you can be a part of a movement committed to making life more affordable for more people.”  

The film, which will run in long format on social, online video and YouTube, was animated by Polyester and features an original song recorded by Vapor Music, with the media buy handled by OpenMind.