Angel Lewis

Judo Bank | Decisions

- ROLE

Project Director / Producer


- FOR

Judo Bank


- DATE

June – September 2020


Founded in 2016, Judo Bank is Australia’s only bank dedicated to Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Uncertain times presented SMEs with many difficult choices. Whatever decisions had to be made, they needed to be made quickly and with the support and backing of an understanding bank. However many businesses found that their ‘right’ bank for normal times had turned into the ‘wrong’ bank for COVID times. What SMEs needed from their banking partner was accessibility, understanding, flexibility and responsiveness. And this is exactly what Judo Bank’s relationship model provides. Our platform leveraged this key insight and placed the high-stakes decision-pondering process all SMEs faced in 2020 at the heart of our campaign. In doing so, Judo Bank was able to demonstrate genuine empathy and a keen understanding of the SME mindset. Pivot or protect? Stick or twist? Tools down or tool up? Crisis or opportunity? Seize the day or Wait and see? Whatever an SME’s next move, Judo Bank is the bank that gets it, the bank that is dedicated to SMEs and prepared to back their business to move forward.

While Big Banks and their big agencies went quiet or communicated platitudes of ‘in-this-together!’, US+US worked directly (in lockdown) with Judo Bank’s Management Board, CMO, media company, and third-party publishers at pace to conceive, execute and implement a campaign into market with virtually no competitor activity to contend with. Our strategic recommendation was to buck the go-quiet trend of our competitors and invest in media — especially as economic stimulus was scheduled to end at the same time as our campaign. Compared to the previous year, Judo’s spend went from 1% share of voice to 25%. Our campaign was optimised across media, with tailored messaging targeted towards different cohorts within the SME sector.


Founder + Creative Partner: Jim Ritchie

Design Partner + Co-Founder: Tom Hutcheon

Creative Associate: Chloe Herbert-Smith

Director: Jay Hynes

Sound: Front Of House


MEDIA

  • Press + Outdoor
  • Immersive Advertorial
  • Digital display
  • Social Media
  • Radio + Podcasts
  • Online video