‘Bank on substance’ campaign provides catharsis post-crisis

Barclays has launched an interesting TV campaign in the U.S. with the tagline “Bank on substance.” The spot succeeds in demonstrating the state of anxiety we find ourselves in these days: A young businessman is trapped in a world where everything is revealed to be a fake. As he frantically runs around the Wall Street area, the motionless people prove to be mannequins, newspapers are worthless decoration and what looks like a building is simply a paper façade that can be torn away.

Considering that many consumers are worried their financial institutions are made of “air” and the economy is a bursting bubble, the ad presents a state of mind most viewers will relate to. Consumers—many of whom suspect that investment firms have been selling them stock market manipulations and other dubious investments—will get the feeling that Barclays has a different approach. At the catharsis of the ad, when a real person steps out of Barclays and ask the young man if he needs help, we get the sense of caring and authenticity we need in order to feel safe again.