• by Larissa Faw , September 9, 2015

Washington state credit union Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) is raising awareness for its new University of Washington-branded Visa card by going to the dog house for a new campaign.

Developed by Seattle-based agency DNA, a dog choir literally sings the University of Washington fight song in a nod to the school's mascot, the Husky. 

This campaign is specifically designed for a niche audience as only Washington state residents and students attending Washington colleges and universities are eligible to join the bank. 

“UW has a fierce following in sports by students and alumni alike," says Kammie McArthur, creative director at DNA. "We wanted people to know that carrying the new BECU Visa is one more way to express your pride. But who wants to watch a video about a credit card? Instead, we created the UW Dawg Choir and presented their rendition of the school fight song." 

Working with animals is never easy, but agency executives were able to elicit the needed performance from the four-legged singers.

"For once in their lives, the dogs were able to bark their hearts out without someone yelling, ‘Quiet!’" says McArthur. "It was pretty hysterical to watch the dogs react to Harry The Husky, the school’s mascot. They couldn’t figure him out, even after trying to go around back and sniff his rear.”

The campaign coincides with the start of UW’s season opener Friday, September 4th against the Boise State Bronco’s and will be promoted through digital and social media channels. In addition there will be out-of-home, online banners, radio spots, and a home page takeover on SeattleTimes.com. 

The bank's 950,000 members will be encouraged to share photos of their dogs on the BECU Facebook page and to share through twitter and Instagram. Photos from the video shoot will also be shared socially.