In the United Arab Emirates, in a study conducted in Q4 2019 about evolving consumer behaviours in a data economy, over 48% people stated how they are more willing to share their data and have their data used by a company, ethically, if it makes their life more rewarding and easier.
Given the existing financial crisis where people have become more conscious of the value they get from the things and the experiences that they spend their hard-earned money on, financial prudence and literacy are not just a “nice-to-have” but an imperative in one’s life.
So, Emirates NBD has taken an untapped approach from a bank, using customer data ethically and meaningfully, by combining that data with creative storytelling, to show how people can spend and save wisely.
Starting out with a film series, titled “The Wise Ones”, the bank is transforming marketing in the Middle East – it’s not simply selling and promoting its products and services like other banks do, every day in the UAE. Instead, through the examples of “The Wise Ones” – its most active and benefitting customers – the bank is showing the benefits of its rewarding and beneficial products and services (that are far more advantageous versus its competitors) to people’s everyday lives.
And instead of typical testimonial advertising or heavy-handed educational content, the bank takes a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek approach to demystify financial prudence, by telling the stories through the lens of those who admire, envy or look up to the bank’s customers:
-
The neighbouring grandma who is a TikTok influencer thanks to The Wise Shopper – the one who shops and gets great deals with the U by EMAAR shopping credit card.
-
The young husband and wife who aspire to learn how to wield magic through their mobile like The Wise Sender – the one who sends money home, to his family, from his mobile, within 60 seconds, for free, at the best rates.
-
The little girl who cannot, for the life of her, figure out the secret behind The Wise Vacationer – her best friend whose family travels all the time and stays in a hotel for free (not paying for a room) courtesy the Marriott Bonvoy Mastercard World Credit Card.
-
The neighbourhood housewife with a knife who envies her fit and healthy neighbour, The Wise Saver – the one who saves more by moving more with the unique Fitness Account.
-
The businessman who wonders how his colleague – The Wise Planner – is managing education as well as extracurricular activities for his kids in today’s time of pay cuts and tightening purse strings (Hint: He uses a 0% Installment Plan and pays school fees in monthly instalments!).
-
And the young Arab fashionista who fangirls and positively desires the life of another woman she knows – The Wise Diner – who dines out at 5-star restaurants several times a week, with the Bon Appetit dining program that gives people 30% off across 2500 restaurants in the UAE.
Shot in 12 hours in 1 day owing to Covid-19 limitations, the films have two distinct parts in terms of mood and look, distinguishing “The Others” from “The Wise Ones”. As the fans speak about the smart people they know, we see teases of those people through cutaways. And then, when the reveal steps in and the music drop, we see an underwater shot coupled with “heroic” dolly zooms that reveal the bank’s real customers, the names of those real customers as well as the data around how they use a product to the fullest and make the most of life – a novel approach in banking and finance.
The soundtrack, titled, “The Wise Ones”, is an original soundtrack that has been composed for this series.
The wise ones
Credits:
Brand: Emirates NBD
Executive Vice President, Head of Group Marketing and Customer Experience: Vikram Krishna
Chief Marketing Officer: Moadh Bukhash
Vice President, Head of Business Marketing: Dominic Fernandes
Vice President, Group Media and Social: Mai Cheblak
Manager – Financial Literacy: Wajd Ghanem
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Global Chief Digital Officer – McCann Worldgroup: Sean MacDonald
Regional Executive Creative Directors: Olly Robinson, Fouad Abdel Malak
Regional Head of Strategy: Tahaab Rais
Group Account Director: Vicky Kriplani
Art Director: Luan Dias de Almeida
Copywriter: Aliza Sdq
Strategist: Anna Sadykova
Global Digital Strategy Director – McCann Worldgroup: Serena May
Regional Digital Director: Anis Zantout
Account Manager: Riddhi Mayank
Account Manager: Aysar Joudeh
Senior Arabic Copywriter: Maher Dawah
Agency Producer: Joumana J. Haddad
Production Company: Dejavu
Executive Producer: Manasvi Gosalia
Films Director: Tahaab Rais
DOP: Bobby Dhillon
Head of Production: Pratixa Shah
Producer: Kavya Iyer
1st AD: Baris Cangokce
Production Co-ordinator: Karim Hamade
Focus Puller: Srinivas Kusuma
Grips: Mohamed Visman (Rizwan)
Gaffer: Shareif Mohammed
Wardrobe: Natascha Hawke
Makeup: Zera Funk
Art: Stefan Duering
Music Composer: Joe Dickinson
Casting: Mixfame
Post-Production Producer: Mary Bou Akl
Editor: Rizwan Maple
Support Editor: Jayesh
Grading and Colourist: Dan Mitre, Dan Mitre Media
Equipment: Action Filmz Studios & Rentals Dubai
