Westpac’s newly launched TV campaign via DDB Sydney helps those who have lost a loved one
Westpac has launched a touching new spot via DDB Sydney about loss and dealing with bereavement.
Westpac’s campaign offers viewers the tag-line of ‘If you’ve lost a loved one, we’re here to help’.
Says Jenny Melhuish, group head of brand, advertising and media, Westpac: “Life is full of unexpected moments, some joyful others uncertain, and working through the financial side of these moments can be a stressful time.
“With over 100,000 Westpac accounts held by customers who pass away each year, we wanted to capture the essence of support, while letting customers know they can reach out for help over the phone, online or by visiting us in branch.
“Supporting our people, customers and communities has always defined us as a brand and we remain committed to helping our customers in the moments that matter to them.”
Westpac
Head of Consumer Marketing: Adrian McCaffrey
Head of Brand, Advertising & Media: Jenny Melhuish
Head of Westpac Advertising: Andrew Howie
Senior Manager Advertising: Loren Elsegood
Senior Manager Advertising: Amber Joyce
DDB
CCO: Ben Welsh
ECD: Tara Ford
Head of Art: Noah Regan
Creative Partner: Matt Chandler
Senior Art Director: Tristan Cornelius
Senior Copywriter: Guy Lemberg
Head of Integrated Content: Sevda Cemo
Senior Producer: Tash Johnson
Managing Partner: Chiquita King
Group Business Director: Topher Jones
Business Manager: Bianca Cohn
Planning Partner: Dom Hickey
Senior Planner: Joseph Smeaton
Production Company: Finch Company
Director: Christopher Riggert
DOP: Dimitri Karakatsanis
Managing Director: Corey Esse
Executive Producer: Karen Bryson
Producer: Camilla Mazzaferro
Edit Facility: The Editors
Editor/s: Stewart Reeves & Bernard Garry Ase
Executive Producer: Nicoletta Rousianos
Grade: Nakatomi
Colourist: Billy Wychgel
Producer: Kani Saib
VFX/Online: BlackBird
VFX Supervisor: Nick Ponzoni
VFX Producer: Bonnie Wilkinson-Smith
Music Supervisor: Karl Richter – Level Two
Music Track: I’ll Never Find Another You (Originally by The Seekers)
Re-record: Julia Jacklin
Sound Design: Song Zu
Engineer: Abigail Sie
Producer: Jess Bonney
Casting Company: McGregor Casting
Casting Director: Kirsty McGregor
57 Comments
T-Bone, very well done.
Absolutely love this.
What is this for?
Does Westpac give me something if a loved one dies?
Beautifully shot and the story makes sense if it’s a short film about a moustached man. But how on earth does this relate to a bank?
before you criticise it’s worth doing a quick google search.
https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/solutions/deceased-estates/?pid=iwc%3Abr%3Adeceased_2307%3A%3Acar
and no i dont work for DDB
this is a wonderful ad
Yeah, because that’s what people will do after they watch the ad.
“WTF what was that about Marge? Hang on, I’ll just Google it.”
Alternatively, you could just make it clear in the ad.
That’s pretty much our job.
It made me tear up. Also, I am in the middle of probate and Westpac has been terrific.
I had no idea it was the same man. I had to watch it 5 times to figure out what it was about. Don’t know how it relates to the bank though.
Nope, not sure that gets across the point that Westpac does anything for me if I lose a loved one. Maybe stick a link on the ad to the details, or even just a nod to it i the VO so people have some idea of what’s happening.
Lovely story, yes. Does it make ay sense for Westpac without mentioning what they do? No.
Sorry @huh, is you solution to no one understanding this ad that they google search “Westpac deceased estates” and then watch another video?
What a beautiful spot. Congratulations to all involved. Best bank ad I’ve seen in a while
Where’s the bit about the bank continuing to charge fees to his account long after he was gone?
It’s a lovely piece of work. But I think the banks need to front up and address their despicable behaviour, instead of carrying on like nothing has happened and producing schmaltzy ads like this. Consumers will see through it.
She’s out of his league. Beautifully shot still.
Love it
Royal Commision..just fuck off to Mumbrella will ya.
Doesn’t really make sense as a piece of communication though does it?
It’s really well done, the story is great, the pictures look beautiful. It just doesn’t say what it’s for or have any relevance to the brand?
Great piece of storytelling about a much-loved guy’s life and his subsequent passing. Absolutely no storytelling/information about how this relates to a bank or what their role is.
Westpac – We can’t say anything about what we actually do, because, well, we suck.
Agency – How about this, a waffling story about nothing in particular.
Westpac – Make the logo bigger, make it all red. Done.
Clueless.
So much about this is beautiful but it does’t land anywhere. I feel that as a piece of communication it’s ineffective.
Why don’t you fuck off back to your naive marketing bubble. Banks have never been more hated or distrusted in their history. But you think it’s fine to churn out the same old message hoping the public will eventually move on. The best thing Westpac could do is shut up, as should you.
Westpac claiming to own the ‘Australian-ness’ high-ground because of some tenuous corporate connection to the Bank of NSW set-up 200-odd years ago is tone-deaf navel-gazing at its worse.
Do something genuinely useful if you’re serious about helping Australians instead of dropping half a mill on a piece of film that literally says nothing.
Really great -nice work DDB taking banking ads to a whole new level.
Wow, there are a lot of bitter cynics on this thread. The agency made an ad. It happens to be a very good ad. They were not charged with fixing the banking industry in general. That’s up to the Australian government. The world needs more people like the bloke in this ad and fewer people who spend their time venting and secreting vitriol on advertising blogs.
Royal Commision continues to talk through his or her arse.Most people don’t give a shit about your royal commission.Go check the numbers.People aren’t hiding their money under the matress while churn across all banks is minimal.
Now fuck off back to Mumbrella..i won’t ask you again.
Press ‘Submit’ once and calm the fuck down.
Hey Thumbs, moron Leroy and tool Tex,
Get a grip, this is really bad and the result of a bloke with a stupid haircut and the agency bending over and saying yes sir.
If you can’t support your agency and you are bagging them out about a decent ad on a blog … maybe time to look for a new job 🤔
its very effective…well done. the music track is however the typical cliched dreary cutesy folk we’ve come to expect.
Figured it best post here – given the amount of attention this is getting
Yesterday Channel Nine bought Fairfax. This is huge
This is more important than anything else on this blog right now but is getting no discussion.
A well-informed democracy needs to be underpinned by the pluralism of ideas and outlooks that comes from strong, independent news outlets.
Australia now has barely one.
You were worried about a glut of bad writing, conservative clients and derivative ideas before??
Get ready guys – Australia’s about to become an even bigger trash heap.
We are all to blame.
While I mainly agree with you, this isn’t really the right place for talking about that, is it?
And how are we all to blame? I didn’t buy bloody Fairfax! I paid my monthly subscription like a good little leftie…you just leave me right out of it, thank you very much!
So you’re saying banks should be allowed to rip customers off until the government steps in?
Jeezus, I’m Iooking forward to you and that moron Tex getting blindly ripped off and losing your life savings, but hey, the marketing will still be warm and fuzzy.
The ‘Westpac’ helicopter ‘fx’ cynically placed in the sound design at the end. Really? Sloppy, cynical and subliminally placed as a reminder of the moral high ground this brand tries to bully us all into believing.
It’s a lovely piece of creative, but like a joke once you know how it ends it’s interest diminishes. It is however an appalling strategy. I can’t think of a better example of “it doesn’t matter how well or how often you say the wrong thing it will still be wrong”
Really nice, well done to all involved.
I don’t really understand the comments on here saying they don’t get what the link to Westpac is. The line says “If you’ve lost a loved one we’re here to help”. They’re a bank. It’s pretty clear what their offering is – they’re going to be able to help with quickly arranging enough money from the estate to cover funeral costs and then getting the estate in order so a will can be actioned. It’s what banks do when people die and it’s nice to know there’s a bank who put effort into that service. Let’s stop treating people like they’re stupid by explaining every tiny detail to them in VO.
Also, disclaimer: I don’t work at DDB but I do work at a rival agency and on a rival bank. The advertising in the banking category in Australia is very safe compared to the USA/UK and this makes a lovely change. Well done to all involved
Hugs to all the haters. I’m sorry your father did that to you, but please don’t take it out on other people.
That aside, as an advertising piece, this is great.
It seems most of the comments are related to brand issues, which isn’t DDB’s job. Their job is to make a pretty film that will hopefully get people liking the bank.
If the bank was with a more brand-centric / inside-out, change-agent agency, like say the monkeys, special or joy – I’d expect something more strategic. But DDB’s job is to make nice, pretty ads – and this does that on every level.
Still can’t get over a bank saying they are here to help.
I’m with Westpac and spent over an hour on the phone with them last week trying to sort out my finances which they stuffed up. Far from helpful let me tell you!
Treating Aussies like they are dumb f#*ks is the lowest form of any communication. We see through the nice pictures. No one is that blind.
I think you’d have to be blind not to see the flaw in this spot. While it’s a beautiful story and well shot, there’s just this huge leap that we as viewers are expected to make. A bank helping with a lost love one is not something that’s common knowledge. A simple super or endline that linked the story with a Westpac service would have sufficed. As it is it misses the mark as great work.
Seems everyone needs to chill out. It’s so easy to find flaws with banks. All said and done it’s abgreat advert. The fact you are all harping on about it makes it even more successsful idiots. The bank just beat all of you
This is great.
Best part of the ad is Julia Jacklin singing
Magpue, I am 100% with you here!
Is the Westpac serious? What a load of CRAP!
This is a awful spot. Insensitive and a damning response to the royal commission. Hang your heads in shame Westpac. It’s off strategy and off brand.
Most beautiful ad I have ever seen. I have to run in to the lounge-room and watch it every time I hear the music start up. I play it on my pc, but it is better on the big screen. My father died 18 months ago, and like Frank, was the most generous beautiful, charismatic man. I immediately knew Westpac was offering to help those at their most vulnerable moments. A death is exceptionally shocking when it is unexpected. The characters they used, the story, the shots, the background, was just amazing! And the song that went with it is utterly perfect. I appreciate that Westpac has put out a piece of art and that we are not being dished up the same usual crap which we use to get up and get a coffee. These ad guys could make a really beautiful cinema film. Thank you, Westpac.
I absolutely love this add, I can’t remember the last time I actually watched and listened to an add. Well done team 😀
i loved the song by julia jacklin where can i get the full track?
How about showing you help, by helping the farmers? That’s putting your money where your ad budget is.
This Ad is just magic. I would love to know who the guy with the moustache is? I predict he will be seen again in an acting role. The whole story and the song that goes with it is so beautiful and emotive but he really makes it special.
Depressing
This ad is absolutely beautiful, I love it. It is a shame that people cant just relate to an ad without pulling the company to bits. You don’t have to go to the bank, and if you don’t like the ad turn it off. All the rest of us out here like to see it.
This ad is stunning. I cry whenever it comes on. Well done to the creative team. A beautifully shot and well executed story.
I second exactly what susannah said above.
Beautiful ad. I really don’t care who is advertising what, it is just very beautiful.
Great add depicts the Australian way and spirit of our passage through life and the sadness of how life ends.
This is an absolutely beautiful, touching bit of film. Can sit through it time after time. I tear up every time. Well done to the ad. company which made it. That said, I don’t give a toss about Westpac or any other bank, phone company, supermarket group etc on most people’s ‘most-hated’ corporate list, and no ad – good, bad or indifferent – would influence me. If one has a positive experience with any of the above, including government departments, it’s usually, purely down to the individual/s dealt with. By the way, the mustachio-ed man in the ad reminds me of someone i knew in the workplace a long time ago, back when mustaches were popular. Does any know who this actor is? And, is that mo real?
I love this ad couldn’t care less who it was for
This ad may be good but in reality their response to my problems in dealing with bank accounts relating to my recently deceased father was absolutely shocking. The actual bank officer was helpful but the so called estate department was useless, unhelpful, wouldn’t talk to me. I still don’t have access to pay bills after 3 months, no bank statements, no emails!
This little piece of schlock is designed to tear us up and make us feel more amenable towards one of the more destructive parts of our society. I don’t like the new type of ‘spiritual marketing’ that evil little fucks like the big 4 banks indulge in to make us feel better about them coming into our bedroom and fondling us while we’re asleep. And if you retain even a vestige of self-dignity, neither will you.