A dramatic video from DENTSU CREATIVE, shows a customer taking money out of an ATM. As they do the walls of the bank crumble away to reveal the journey their bank notes have been on. Money flutters through scenes of devastation caused by the fossil fuel industry, before being dispensed into the customer’s hands. The ad was captured in public, using projection mapping techniques to stop passers-by in their tracks with striking images. 

A voice over asks the audience; “Do you know where your bank invests your money? It could be logging in the Amazon. Or coal-fired power stations. It’s time to Withdraw From This.”  The call to action urges consumers to join The Co-operative Bank, a bank that hasn’t financed fossil fuel production for over 20 years. 

“People don’t think about where money goes once it’s in the bank. We wanted to reveal that it can finance terrible things. So, we tore down the wall, to show people the unsettling truth happening behind the scenes.” explained Tom Prendergast and Joe Stamp, Senior Creatives at DENTSU CREATIVE.

Campaigning for accountability

Where consumers are wise to purpose-washed campaigns, organisations that engage in purpose driven marketing must prove they can walk the walk. Last year, The Co-operative Bank was awarded the best ESG score (Environmental, Social and Governance) of any UK high street bank for the second consecutive year, by ESG ratings agency Sustainalytics, proving the bank has a voice of authority on climate crisis investing issues. The Bank is also an Ambassador of Zero Hour, a campaign to see the Climate and Ecology Bill become law. 

“We’ve made sure that sustainability is at the heart of everything we do as a bank. It’s why we haven’t provided any financing to the fossil fuel industry for over two decades. However, it’s clear that many other banks lack this level of transparency. ” says Deborah Darlington, Brand, Marketing and Communications Director at The Co-operative Bank.

While the bank itself has its climate policies in order and can ensure that customers' money is not invested into detrimental projects, the bank is striving to empower people to make ethical choices with their money. With many consumers showing a preference toward sustainable products, it is important to also know about hidden climate costs they may be unwillingly contributing to.

To support the campaign, the bank is urging consumers to visit Bank.Green, a growing movement that aims to put pressure on banks to divest from fossil fuels. Concerned customers can use the site to find out more about the fossil fuel investment practices of their current bank and sign a pledge to move their money away from funding bad projects.

A recent poll of 50,000 of the bank's customers revealed climate change is still their number one concern. As a result the bank has reflected its consumers' concerns in its business model and within its marketing, taking accountability and working toward creating a more sustainable world by empowering customers.