Adam&eve turns to Lloyds’ trusty steed for under-fire bank – at least it’s not a banker

Everybody likes horses don’t they – until one of them gives you a nip or treads on your foot.

So Lloyds, which is well and truly in the doghouse at the moment as details emerge of the cover-up of a repellent scandal at acquisition HBOS which resulted in 47 years of prison sentences, may be wise to return to its trusty beast in the latest instalment of its ‘For Your Next Steps’ campaign from adam&eveDDB.

People in banking can be just too dangerous these days.

Lloyds managing director group brands and marketing Catherine Kehoe says: “Lloyds Bank “By Your Side” is a natural progression of the For Your Next Steps campaign and shows how we’ll always be by our customers’ sides, giving them the financial confidence to take their next step. The new commercial is a striking and powerful depiction of our unique place in the lives of British people, and demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers – today and in the future.”

Hmm. Not if you were a business customer at a certain Reading HBOS branch. Lloyds is currently talking about £100m in compensation for defrauded customers but the damage may be much worse than that. Heads, one suspects, will roll.

Does the fact that Lloyds has been around for 250 years help in all this? No doubt the research says it does.

This one? Shows A&E’s customary care and craft.

But it’s a holding number, fighting against a PR firestorm. Where’s the promise of a better bank?

MAA creative scale: 6.