• by Danielle Oster , May 1, 2025

The oldest and largest credit union in New York City launched a new campaign designed to appeal to those who love living there, with creative leaning into authentic representation of the city.

Municipal Credit Union (MCU) partnered with full-service agency DNA&Stone, to increase awareness and drive membership in the New York City area. A brand strategy and customer segmentation study led to the strategy of targeting an audience of “hard-working New Yorkers who love living in the city despite the rising costs and are willing to hustle and make sacrifices to do so,” according to a release.

“For New Yorkers, getting an apartment with more than one room, scoring the ever-elusive parking spot or living without a roommate are all major signs of success,” DNA&Stone Founder Matt McCain said in a statement. “We needed to find a way to highlight MCU and their ability to make New Yorkers’ money go further.”

The “We’re Here For It” campaign does that by celebrating what makes New York distinct and positioning MCU as having a unique understanding of the city and its residents’ signs of success, he explained.

MCU partnered with New York’s Noble Signs and the Cevallos Brothers, who have been designing and hand-painting advertisements for retailers across the city across the five boroughs for over five decades. New York City-based illustration and animation production company Jelly worked to bring the Cevallos Brothers’ illustrations to life for the animated campaign video, which also features voiceover acting from New York-based standup comics, with all audio recorded live on the streets of New York.

“As the oldest credit union in the city, we knew we needed to make some changes to modernize our approach and reach New Yorkers looking to make a positive change in their financial journey,” MCU CEO  Kyle Markland said in a statement.

“We’re Here For It” launched regionally in the greater New York City area, across CTV and online video,  with OOH activations in major venues including subways, the Holland Tunnel, Times Square, and the Staten Island Ferry.