Why This Canadian Bank Invited Americans to ‘Say Hello to BMO’
FCB Canada’s Jeremiah McNama, BMO’s Michael Sanders and Geoff Hutchinson, and Merchant Films director Benji Weinstein on humorously celebrating the bank’s arrival in the US, and putting Lamorne Morris on an airport luggage carousel, writes LBB’s Josh Neufeldt
Up here in Canada, BMO Financial Group is a nationally-known institution. Whether it’s seeing the company’s banking kiosks scattered around the city streets, ‘BMO’ and the logo printed on the likes of CF Montréal and Toronto F.C.’s kits, or its advertising work across multiple channels, if you live here, you know BMO.
The same can’t be said for Americans… yet. But, with BMO’s recent acquisition of Bank of the West, the group and partner creative agency FCB Canada are looking to change this rapidly, seeking to herald the company’s arrival in Colorado and California. To avoid getting lost in the clutter of sameness and other banks who’ve been there longer, a great campaign was needed to really grab people’s attention. And this one wouldn’t disappoint. Partnering with Merchant Films director Benji Weinstein, the teams collaborated to create ‘Say Hello to BMO’, which showcased the bank’s friendly, human approach to working with customers.
Centred around two 30-second TV spots titled ‘Carousel’ and ‘Here Now’, the work once again saw the return of ‘New Girl’ star Lamorne Morris as the ‘BMO Guy’ - using quirky humour and dialogue to impart memorable creative. Specifically, the former saw the actor ride an airport luggage carousel while at his desk, all while a stack of BMO-branded items came through behind him - signalling the bank’s arrival in America, and more than that, it’s intention to stay for the long term.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with FCB Canada executive creative director Jeremiah McNama, BMO’s VP, managing director, brand Michael Sanders, senior manager, US, brand and sponsorship advertising Geoff Hutchinson, and Benji Weinstein to learn more about how this came to life.
LBB> Tell us more about the acquisition of Bank of the West! How’ve things gone so far?
Mike> We closed the deal to buy Bank of the West in February 2023, and completed our integration efforts over Labour Day weekend, converting all of Bank of the West’s branches, digital banking, and technology systems over to BMO. But, we’ve been working on this brand launch since January 2022 - shortly after our intention to acquire Bank of the West was announced!
Over that time, our marketing colleagues delivered regular messages to customers and clients about what to expect in the transition, using direct mail, email, digital banking, branch merchandising and one-to-one client outreach. For the brand team, though, our focus was on introducing the brand to consumers and prospects more broadly, because it’s our goal not just to take good care of Bank of the West customers, but to win new customers in all of these new (to us) markets.
LBB> How did this translate into the brief you gave FCB Canada, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Geoff> When we write assignment briefs for FCB and UM, we always start with a consumer pain point that BMO helps to solve. That was a real challenge here: consumers aren’t complaining that there aren’t enough banks, so what are we solving? Ultimately, we landed on the idea that we should go ahead and acknowledge that in the work, so you see one of the characters in the initial streaming/TV ad say, ‘Just what we needed, another big bank’. That gave us a jumping off point to explain how we’re different.
Jeremiah> The biggest challenge was introducing ourselves to a market that doesn’t know who we are… or even that we’re a bank. So we had to make sure our personality came through, all while giving the great reasons to bank with BMO.
In other scripts, we had the help desk arriving on a tour bus, being unpacked off a moving van, and even in a hot air balloon. But in the end, arriving through a luggage carousel seemed clearest and the right type of funny.
LBB> Specifically, introducing yourself to clients in California and Colorado is very specific. How did this factor into the creative process, if at all?
Mike> We had to answer two questions: ‘What is BMO?’, and ‘What’s in it for you?’.
The first question got a lot more important when Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic imploded. While we’ve always emphasised our purpose and our commitment to the communities we serve, these sudden changes in the banking industry made it important to point out our 205-year track record of trusted service.
Geoff> The simple line ‘New to California, not new to banking’, nicely captures that we’re not an upstart. Normally, customers tell us they don’t really care how long we’ve been around, but suddenly it was a lot more salient for people.
LBB> What was the casting process like? And how did working with Lamorne Morris go?
Benji> I tend to take a targeted approach to casting, instead of massive, long sessions. Wayne Federman, as the male character waiting at the conveyor belt, is a good example. He’s a well-known figure in the LA comedy scene – he’s written a book on the history of stand-up, and he teaches a course on it at USC. I’ve been trying to find a role for him for a long time, and it was really exciting when everyone agreed he was perfect for that part.
As for Lamorne, he is a total pro and puts a lot of thought into making sure the comedic beats are right for the character. We keep it pretty loose and do a bunch of takes until it feels right. He also prefers to stay on set when we’re shooting the other actors, so he can read with them from off camera and make the scene work better.
LBB> Building on this, how was the shoot? What sort of equipment did you use, and was one of the spots trickier to execute than the others?
Benji> The shoot was really smooth, because the creatives and I are very closely aligned, and the clients are extremely supportive and trusting. I’m really into the Alexa Super 35 cameras - and we had two of them - which is my preference whenever I’m shooting dialogue.
The shoot took place over two days in a recreation centre. Shooting the BMO Guy on the carousel was absurd and funny, and (thankfully) uneventful. Jesson Moen, the production designer, is amazing and always has complicated gags like this completely worked out and tested in advance. Last year, we put Lamorne and the desk on an escalator, so the conveyor belt was easy by comparison.
With all that said, the carousel spot was definitely the trickier of the spots. I like to do a lot of improv and long series during the takes, and it gets complicated when the actor is moving through the shot the entire time. When he’d reach a certain point on the belt, his eyeline would jump to the other side of the axis, which affected the coverage we needed, so everything had to be precise.
LBB> The BMO-branded luggage is super funny! How many pieces were included, what went into creating them, and do you have a particular favourite of the collection?
Jeremiah> The different pieces of luggage were a late build, actually. After a script is sold, we often go through the exercise of punching it up. It’s nice to really focus on one script versus the 7-10 scripts on the table. So, the idea of the BMO Guy literally bringing the bank with him was a funny addition and it ended up being our recorded cut.
Geoff> I think you can see 12 pieces on the conveyor belt – but there were at least 30 different pieces of branded luggage on hand to choose from during production, from suitcases and a duffel bag, all the way to a full-sized BMO ATM. We tried to think of all the things that might help people get a quick read that we’re a bank, and then just had fun thinking through what you’d least expect to see on the carousel when you’re waiting for your bag.
Mike> We also wanted to include a couple of pieces that reflected California and Colorado, without being too obvious about it - hence the surfboard and the kayak.
Geoff> Every time I see the BMO kayak, it makes me laugh!
LBB> The accompanying slogan, ‘Say Hello to BMO’, as well as the corresponding material such as the OOH is very clever. What did it take to bring this to life?
Jeremiah> It was a year-long exploration. In the end, we created a mix of OOH ads that we’re really proud of. Some are super clear and direct, while others are clever and playful. It’s all about striking a balance of hitting key messages and letting our humour shine.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them, and what lessons did you learn in the experience?
Benji> It was all pretty smooth, because the entire team is so good.
As for lessons, I learned that Lamorne Morris is brilliant, even when riding on a conveyor belt, and that Wayne Federman is even funnier than I thought. I was also reminded how important and valuable a good relationship is among client, agency, and production.
Mike> Let me put it this way: you only get one chance to launch a brand in California and Colorado. We couldn’t screw this up! There were no do-overs. We had to get this right. I’d say this was the hardest - and most rewarding - thing I’ve ever done as a marketer.
Geoff talked about this before and I agree, consumers don’t really care that there’s another big bank. I think FCB helped us strike the right balance - introducing ourselves with flair and personality (no other bank sounds or looks like us!) while making it clear what’s in it for you.
Geoff> We also were working as one small piece of a huge engine: the overall conversion itself. Having to work in lock-step with so many other teams, and making sure we were showing up consistently in all the places we were talking to consumers was a real all-hands-on-deck effort.
LBB> How have people reacted to this campaign?
Jeremiah> The response has been incredible - both internally and on the West Coast. Lamorne reposts one of his billboards all the time. It’s not every day you see your face on a super board driving down La Brea Ave.!
Geoff> We’re hearing from friends and colleagues that we’ve ‘painted the town blue’. Consumers are noticing our work, and more importantly, they’re taking the next step and finding out more about us – we’ve seen a sharp uptick in search volumes for our brand.
Mike> I’ll finish with a story: I was on a work trip with a colleague in Los Angeles last week. He mentioned to me that he had to call the hotel where we stayed to get a copy of the bill for his expense report. When he told the hotel his email address, which ends in bmo.com, the woman said: ‘Oh BMO, the bank! Your ads are everywhere!’.
LBB> Building on this, how does the campaign fit into BMO’s branding for 2023 and beyond?
Geoff> This campaign builds on the success of our ‘BMO Effect’ creative platform; you’ll see we use the same construct, same recurring character and BMO help desk, and same brand cues throughout.
Mike> And that’s on purpose! Kantar data suggests we have the most recognisable advertising in the category, so extending this construct to these new markets is the right way to go.
Geoff> We also introduced a few new elements to ensure the work is unmistakably BMO, like the audio riff that ends our spots. We wanted to find an easy, fun way to help people learn how to say our name. And we think it’s working - our colleagues are telling us their kids are humming it!
