Bank of Scotland has unveiled its biggest brand transformation in a generation, placing customers, businesses and Scottish ambition at the centre of a new digital-first campaign.
The campaign, ‘Go do your thing’, marks a significant shift for the 330-year-old bank, positioning it as a modern, vibrant and people-focused brand while retaining its strong Scottish identity.
Developed with creative agency MadeBrave, the campaign was built around a simple insight: Scotland does not necessarily want a bank that is simply Scottish, but a world-class bank that happens to be Scottish.
Research found that while 96% of people in Scotland have aspirations, 78% struggle to take action on them. The campaign therefore focuses on turning ambition into action, with Bank of Scotland positioned as the support behind customers as they pursue their goals.
The creative approach puts real people at its centre, featuring more than 100 Scots and their stories, alongside businesses including Tunnock’s, EGG, Finnieston’s Corner Shop and Shrimpwreck.
Rather than relying solely on traditional brand advertising, Bank of Scotland handed over control to its customers, using authentic stories of people building businesses, pursuing ambitions and achieving personal milestones.
The campaign spans film, broadcast, video-on-demand, social media and outdoor advertising, with mobile-first creative designed around a 9:16 format to reflect how customers increasingly consume content.
Music also plays a key role, with Edinburgh-born producer Barry Can’t Swim providing the soundtrack to the campaign, reinforcing its focus on contemporary Scottish culture.
The wider rebrand has also included a major switching campaign, customer-focused communications and a series of high-profile cultural activations. One initiative saw a viral moment involving Scottish footballer Scott McTominay transformed into a banknote to raise funds for Crisis.
According to Bank of Scotland, the campaign has generated more than 400 pieces of press coverage, hundreds of millions of impressions and engagements, while the bank secured more customer switches in its first two months than across the whole of the previous year. The campaign has also raised almost £200,000 for Crisis.