• by Larissa Faw , March 16, 2017

SunTrust and its agency StrawberryFrog are expanding the bank’s so-called “onUp movement” to help Americans move from financial stress to financial confidence.

The bank’s new “Confidence Starts Here” ad campaign represents the next step in SunTrust’s national marketing strategy that began with a 2016 Super Bowl spot to focus on what it called  the epidemic of financial stress. 

“Our research found that 75% of Americans are financially stressed and about 40% do not have $2,000 saved for an emergency," says Susan Johnson, CMO, SunTrust. "We also found that across all income levels, people who are financially confident report being three times more satisfied with their lives. We want to continue motivating people by showing the impact that small steps in the right direction can make.”

Debuting during March Madness, TV spots celebrate "the kind of assurance that can only be expressed when somebody is financially confident," says Johnson. Each spot features a “hero” whose confidence is admirable and contagious. "They exude confidence against type. You wish you could be like it," she says. One spot, directed by Fred Bond of MJZ, features Jordan McQuiston, a roller skater who previously appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent as he navigates through a busy city street. In addition to his flashy moves, he falls down but gets right back up.

A second “Sounds of Confidence” ad will showcase a SunTrust Park grounds crewmember stepping up to the microphone and launching into a rock star performance. SunTrust Park, opening next month, is the new stadium for Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves.

Other campaign elements include audio, video, mobile, geo-targeting, social media, and custom murals. In all, this call-to-action is designed to direct people - not just SunTrust clients - to onUp.com which provides free financial resources, including savings calculators, budgeting tools and tips with financial advice.

This integrated campaign joins a three-pronged strategy that puts SunTrust’s "purpose of lighting the way to financial well-being into action," says Johnson. 

Another key area of focus is SunTrust Park-- the only MLB stadium designed as a year-round community, It features a theater, condos, and live entertainment. As part of its sponsorship deal, SunTrust is opening the onUp Experience, a separate year-round center with games and activities that encourage financial confidence.

The firm is also developing a Momentum OnUp corporate program that has a curriculum to enable companies to educate employees about key financial strategies. "We piloted the program ourselves and are bringing it to companies at no profit to us," says Johnson.

"The onUp Movement has already achieved over 1.3 million participants, "well ahead" of its first year goals of 600,000."We think we can accelerate our membership. When we first started off, we said we wanted five million members in five years," says Johnson, noting that SunTrust is already likely to pass its internal 2017 goal of 1.5 million members in the coming weeks.