The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane fronts new global brand advertising campaign for ANZ Bank
ANZ has launched its first global brand campaign that will support its super regional strategy and continue the evolution of ANZ’s brand as customer centric and uncomplicated.
The new campaign follows the development of ANZ’s new global brand in 2009 and the recent appointment of Whybin\TBWA\Tequila Melbourne as ANZ’s new global creative agency.
Says ANZ Group Managing Director Strategy, M&A, Marketing and Innovation, Joyce Phillips: “The evolution of our brand through this campaign reflects a need for a globally consistent campaign that supports our super regional strategy.
“It will help build awareness and relevance of ANZ in our key emerging markets while reinforcing what it is that makes us different from other banks. This campaign is an exciting step forward in a journey we began 18 months ago with the launch of our new brand. This new campaign shows how we understand the needs of our customers, providing insights and delivering ideas that help people progress,” Ms Phillips said.
The new campaign features The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane, the ideal personification of ANZ’s brand as insightful, sophisticated, worldly but with a strong connection to Australia.
“Patrick Jane knows what people are thinking because he lives in their world – he’s an observer of life and that’s what we strive to be,” Ms Phillips said.
The campaign was launched in Australia and Asia last night with New Zealand to follow shortly. There will be several executions launched over the coming year supported by a significant media spend.
61 Comments
All that time and work – for this?
Arrogant. Out of touch. B-grade. Just what we expect.
I thought it was fresh. It certainly caught my attention. Yes, it’s the substantiation that always makes these kinds of campaigns. How are they really delivering against their promise? However, in terms of making that promise as a first-off brand ad, I thought it was decent. Better than the ComBank junk from the US and the super-boring Westpac stuff I have been seeing lately.
Like it. Also makes sense of the we live in your world idea.
The only smart thing about this work is a favourable currency exchange with the US for the talent/production …
I think this is the bank thinking this is what we’re thinking.
Frankly I’m not thinking this at all.
Truly awful and mercifully, instantly forgettable.
He’s an Aussie, Simon Baker, speaking with an American accent, having just become a US citizen, staring off into space for the majority of the spots and talking to someone, maybe himself, who knows?
What on earth made ANZ and Whybin think this was going to play to the Australian audience, and why is the PR put out by the Marketing Manager referring to Simon by his character name Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, as if we don’t know who he is, or as if we’ll get that he’s in character as opposed to just Simon the actor/celebrity?
Confusing doesn’t begin to describe this, and does anybody know what 11:48 is talking about? “It’s substantiation that always makes these kinds of campaigns”? In English please. Marketing-speak is just too f*#king mind numbing.
An Aussie bank advertising an Aussie service, with an Aussie actor – only he’s speaking in an american accent with an air of arrogance and snobbishness about him (a trait Aussies usually say separates them from the US)
what happened…?
Almost as bad as the current arrogant Colonial First State “Wealth Creation” ads running.
My really long, mildly humourous spiel did not upload so now I’m just gonna paraphrase:
– Wonder how much the license fee is to us a character from a US hit show on top of paying the actor his cut?
– These don’t appear to try and break any ground, creatively. Just observing. Kinda bold if you ask me. Will they work?
– Patrick. You have a wonderful way of solving crimes. Keep it up. But, when are you going to bang your boss? Btw, who does your suits? I particularly like the vests with open collar and no tie. Nice touch.
If he bangs his boss, the game’s over. You know that.
Anyway, he’s one handsome devil. I reckon women will watch this ad and hear ‘blah blah blahblahblah’ because all they can think about is doing the deed with simmo.
pretty nice vanity project for a client but. hint to everyone out there: if you’re pitching for a big bit of business, appeal to the client’s vanity. More times than not, it works.
…they’re shit.
Pays the bills though.
Dear God, these are awful.
I don’t watch the Mentalist, so I’m not sure these ads are shit because they’re shit, or just because I’m one of 20 million Australians who don’t watch the Mentalist and therefore don’t get the link.
Wow this is an embarrassment. For ANZ, for any Australian associated with ANZ, and in particular for Whybin.
Play these in New Zealand and watch your customers walk away. Just sayin’.
If you’re going to borrow a character form a TV show, make the ad a story, not a monologue. Not very engaging.
one of the worst ads I’ve seen in yonks…talent didn’t engage you…in fact he doesn’t even look at the camera….as for getting US cars to drive on our side to fool the punters….oh pleeeeeeeease
MAJOR FAIL
Terrible.
Non-ad folk also made the same comment unprompted when it came on last night.
Where is he looking away the whole time? Looks like he’s lying/ashamed and can’t look the audience in the eye..
Bring back the Falcon
Ouch…this is not good at all.
A really boring and fake sounding monologue that makes ANZ feel phoney.
Huge mistake to have the talent looking away from camera. Bad.
American accent? Why?
We live in your world…(I don’t believe you do)
Are you surprised? Look at the all other work coming out of that agency.
Pretty predictable and boring.
Not so much the ads, but the responses from all the (other) anonymouses.
Or should it be anonymice?
such a shame
a real stand out in it’s category, turned to beige in seconds
I’m a TV star, living in LALA land, getting paid a shitload for doing an ad, which leverages the character I play in the TV show in which I am a TV star, trying to devlier a script that is attempting to be clever with words, to make you believe that a bank has your best interests at heart. It was my reccomendation to do the screen fingering, because I like the way Channel 10 do that, seriously. Did I mention I’m a TV star?
Nice to see the DDB & M&C out in force today
who directed this?
Shame he doesnt look into our eyes to know what we’re thinking or even close his eyes to pick up on what we’re thinking…what were the creatives thinking…awards..being on a us shoot is fun… What bar are we going to hit tonight?
A good sign that someone is lying to you is lack of eye contact.
This spot gives alot away…
Er, I think he’s speaking with a US accent because he’s in character.
12.13 bang on the money. Why are they trying to use Simon Bakers character name it’s insulting to our intelligence, we know the difference between real life and imported shit US television.
Marketing talk gets right on my tits, is anyone actually impressed by the needless word they’ve just learnt from dictionary.com?
Anyway I digress back to the ad err let me think…..absolute poo. I hate ANZ colour scheme, that grey and blue reminds me of my time in UK tory governments and grey Manchester piss wet skies. Poo
4.19 probably right, but then not many people from Whybin defending it either. I think everyone knows this is shit.
Jesus how many comments on here from DDB and M&C?!
I wish people would check their facts before making false statements about someone they clearly know very little about.
Simon Baker is NOT a US citizen. In a February 2011 interview for Adelaide Now, Simon said: “I’m an incredibly proud Australian, ridiculous to the point where my American friends get sick of hearing me say, `But in Australia it wouldn’t happen like that’. I’m that guy. So it broke my heart when people were saying, `Ah, you don’t want to be Australian’. I was like, you don’t understand. There’s no rejection of my Australian-ness. That’s something you’d have to beat out of me with a stick.”
Um 4:19, for fuck’s sake. If I was at DDB or M&C and lost my job when they lost their big bits of ANZ and then saw these, I’d be “out in force” too. All that work over the years on a tough financial institution client only to be beaten by nothing more than a dud celebrity endorsement and a fingerprint analogy? Come on.
That ad is everything that’s wrong about Australian advertising right now.
Indescribably banal, cringeingly meaningless, self-conscious gobbledegook masquerading as…what? Sophistication? I’m not buying, and I’ll confidently wager the pot no-one in consumerland will either.
How can people who should know better get it so absolutely, emphatically and tragically wrong? Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong and wronger.
We’ve all done work we’re not proud of to win a piece of business, but THIS??? Of all the possible routes?
I’m not sure who looks more inept – the agency for producing this pap, or the client for buying it.
And just imagine how annoying it’s going to get with the enormous pile of money that’ll no doubt be spent running it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.
Wife saw this last night and said two things; why is he not looking at the camera, and why the American accent?
Actually three things, she said it was a shit ad too.
Have to totally agree with Ben (8.24am) and his wife. WTF was that?
Not a good ad at all! shocking marketing work, clear sign that banks are manipulative and DO NOT have our best interest at heart.
head to a credit union – safe, secure and extremely friendly staff oh and you do not get the BS. I am with QSCU and I am treated like ‘family’
This really is a disgrace to banks and makes me dislike them even more.
I’d like to see the ‘Idea’ that won the pitch, surely this can’t be it.
“The evolution of our brand through this campaign reflects a need for a globally consistent campaign that supports our super regional strategy.
Awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHc7TPQv5T0
11.14.
I just nearly wet myself.
thankyou
When Anthony Hopkins did a similar thing for barclays bank a million years ago it was relevant – A smarmy bank using an upper crust actor appealing to rich folks.
How will this ever connect and appeal to the average Aussie account holder?
Bad move ANZ.
Ps an look at the camera for fEcksake!
WOW this stuff actually rivals the Westpac, “We’re a bank you can bank on” for most rubbish bank ad ever. WELL DONE!
May decent rival bank advertising eat you all alive.
My wife refuses to talk about advertising. Even though it’s paid for a reasonably comfortable lifestyle.
Two decades of dinner parties with Ad people discussing Ad business, fueled by numerous vats of wine, have quite literally bored her so much that advertising is rarely discussed in our house. Which suits me.
But last night when this ad appeared, she sat forward and exclaimed “fucking hell, that’s shit”. I don’t know who was more shocked by this Linda Blaireque outburst. Me, her or the kids who were still awake as it’s the school holidays.
She apologized but the damage was done.
It’s better than the Westpac stuff at least. haha.
Dear ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac:
NAB is absolutely kicking your ass.
Sincerely,
Us.
One of the worst ads I’ve seen in a VERY long time.
Why oh why, do we have to be exposed to this shite on tele. It does nothing except irritate and question the lame American accent by an Aussie guy for an Aussie institution.
Fail.
It’s a very expensive way of explaining an incomprehensible tagline.
So he doesn’t do Samsung anymore now that he holds an iPhone in this ad?
It’s not as bad as the new Westpac ad, but it’s close!!
An aside to 12:31 comment about Anthony Hopkins for Barclays – that campaign, which also included a spot with the very portly Robbie Coltrane, was all about how “big” Barclays were … just as they were closing down all many of their high street branches.
The Barclays campaign was pulled fairly quickly amidst consumer and shareholder backlashes about how out of touch they were.
I fear ANZ are similarly out of touch. As for the current Westpac campaign, heritage alone is not a brand platform.
To Pru at July 4, 2011 9:56 PM – you might also want to “check your facts before making false statements.
A simple Google search for the term “Simon Baker citizenship” delivers a large number of results that indicate he has either applied for or obtained American citizenship.
e.g.: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/turning-up-the-charm-back-home-20100717-10f4z.html
If I’m to believe Wikipedia, he received it in August 2010: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Baker
Not being a hater, but this is presumptuous babble. That’s not what I was thinking at all.
The only thing I like is that the positioning isn’t ‘different’, like everyone else (Comm and NAB). They’re trying to be innovative – which could be beneficial. Difference has no benefit.
Even worse than Comm bank’s first ‘determined to be different’ ads. At least they had a speck of hokey charm. But still nowhere near as bad as Bendigo Bank’s ‘welcome to your new home loan’ ad.
Simon Baker!
I feel sad and shocked that you have decided to support the NUMBER 1 DIRTY BANK! ANZ are the main supporters of dirty coal power, new coal plants, non-sustainable and poluting companies and the over indulgent timber industries responsible for cutting down our, and Tassies, beautiful old growth forests!
Did you not do your home work, or back ground checks? I would have thought the character of Patrick Jane would have rubbed off on you by now, but obviously not.
Shocked…so shocked that I have thrown out all my mentalist..into the rubbish, because those that support ANZ and such damaging corporations are totally out of touch of the issues on today.
get with it Mr Baker….clean up your act and don’t sell your soul and our earth for profit..just like ANZ does!
regards,
T
ANZ, this is awful!
You know, I’m very biased but I kind of liked it.
It certainly wasn’t that creative, but who doesn’t love Patrick Jane? If I chose my bank based on their advertising campaigns I’d be with ANZ, ’cause they’ve got the mentalist and the others don’t (so there!).
Just seen this. I had to find out more about it. OMG. Dreadful idea, dreadfully directed. I agree with the poster who said one of the worst Australian ads in decades.