Whoo hoo! WaMu unveils new ad campaign celebrating and inspired by their Customers.

WaMu announced a new marketing and advertising campaign that taps into customers’ emotional reactions to capture the essence of what it feels like to bank at WaMu.

“We want to become an iconic brand that people love,” said Genevieve Smith, chief marketing officer for WaMu. “Through ongoing brand tracking, we know we always outperform our peers when it comes to being emotionally relevant to people. It gives us a unique opportunity to talk about who we are.”

The new campaign brings WaMu’s brand values to life: A company that lives to simplify banking and do it with a smile.

“Whether it’s been in focus groups or surveys, we hear that WaMu is a bank that truly cares about the customer, doesn’t nickel and dime them, and gives something back. We created a campaign that reflects this,” said Smith.

The campaign marks a shift in how the company communicates its unique value to consumers. Instead of separating itself from the pack by defining WaMu’s competitors, the new campaign defines WaMu through the customer experience and reaction to its own products and services, taking a more forward-looking, optimistic approach.

New Marketing Campaign

The fully integrated Whoo hoo! campaign – which spans TV, in-store, direct, print, out-of-home, radio and online communications, and a parallel internal campaign – conveys the emotional appeal of the unique WaMu brand. For the TV component, the focal point is the customer’s Whoo hoo! moment; a dream-like state where customers visualize moments of personal elation in response to learning about WaMu products and services.

“WaMu customers love the WaMu brand and sincerely experience Whoo hoo! moments. The campaign creative taps into that experience and the enthusiasm of WaMu’s employees,” Said Rob Schwartz, ECD at TBWA\Chiat\Day. “The ads reflect the simplicity of banking with WaMu, their unique, disruptive industry brand, and their unique culture.”

The Whoo hoo! campaign conveys WaMu’s brand philosophies, including:
— We don’t nickel and dime you

— We’ve got your back

— We give you something back

The campaign is designed to operate seamlessly across business lines, delivering the brand consistently. “The TV spots in particular highlight our successful and growing retail banking franchise as the focal point for delivering products and services across our business lines, and that’s perfectly aligned with our retail growth strategy,” said Smith.

In addition to English language advertising, elements of the new campaign will be launched in Spanish and Chinese languages.

TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, is responsible for the TV, print and outdoor executions, media planning and campaign strategy. Additional agencies involved in executing the new campaign include:
— Zubi Advertising – Spanish language

— IW Group – Chinese language

— Fathom Communications – Experiential marketing

— Wolff-Olins – Merchandising

— Avenue A-Razorfish – Online