Brooklyn Brothers wins First Direct ad account with ‘earned first’ brief

The Brooklyn Brothers has won First Direct after a pitch against an impressive line up of agencies: R/GA London, Wunderman Thompson and AnalogFolk.

The online bank’s account has been handled by Karmarama since 2017, but the Accenture-owned agency did not repitch for the business.

It’s a significant win for The Brooklyn Brothers, which is owned by Interpublic Group, and until recently has been a quiet presence in London, best known for its Iceland Tourist Board work. But last month it launched the Financial Times’ biggest campaign since the 2008 financial crash with a bold “New Agenda” statement: “Capitalism. Time for a reset,” and now its won First Direct.

Jackie Stevenson, founder and CEO of The Brooklyn Brothers, said: “First Direct set the bar for bravery and innovation in banking, and in 2020 it’s time to write the next chapter with an equally innovative approach. We’re delighted to be working together with such a passionate team to deliver an earned-first platform for the brand that will truly matter to consumers and culture.”

Helen Priestley, First Direct chief marketing officer, said: “First Direct has just celebrated its 30th birthday, and… for our next chapter we will affirm our voice once again and invite a new generation of customers to get to know First Direct. We are the original challenger band and we intend to keep on challenging, so that we keep giving our customers what they really deserve from their bank.”

A great win for The Brooklyn Brothers but strange that Karmarama and its parent Accenture Interactive didn’t have longer term success with First Direct.