Coutts says ‘real success takes true character’ in first brand campaign for 50 years

After 300 years in business, Coutts is attempting to overhaul its image and appeal to a new generation of “wealth creators” in a campaign by The&Partnership.

It’s always been known as “the posh people’s bank,” but now Coutts wants digital entrepreneurs, influencers, Esports players, and musicians — people they are calling the “disruptors, champions and change-makers” — to open accounts.

The&Partnership does its best to pull off the trick of placing the 300 year-old bank at the heart of cutting edge technology and entrepreneurship.

Coutts claims to have been one of the first banks to use machine-posted ledgers back in the 1920s, and in 1963 became the first British bank to use computerised accounts. Charles Dickens and the founder of Girl Guides, Agnes Baden Powell were both clients, because (they say) Coutts has always been about forward-thinkers and entrepreneurs.

The ad will get its first airing during Succession on Sky Atlantic, and outdoor executions will target high-net-worth areas like South Kensington and Knightsbridge, as well as airport lounges, with media by Initiative.

Paul Fletcher, marketing director wealth at Coutts said: “We support the most inspiring people in the UK and can count nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs as our clients. There can be some misconceptions about us and this is a great opportunity to more accurately reflect the organisation we are today – a dynamic, performance-driven culture delivered with personal service and digital enabled.”

Micky Tudor, CCO, The&Partnership, said: “What does it mean to be successful now? It’s no longer just about wealth creation, it’s also about staying true to your values, to yourself and doing good, as well as doing well. This work aims to capture the new character of success and catapult a modern Coutts into the minds of the modern entrepreneur.”

Just about treads the line between alienating old customers and attracting new ones.

MAA creative scale: 5