Monzo bank has appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London and Dublin as its lead creative agency. There was no pitch for the business, which was handled by Uncommon Creative Studio from April 2023 until January this year.
BBH’s remit plays to the agency’s strengths: it’s been asked to deliver creative advertising that will “establish the brand as the more desirable choice for a new generation of customers.” Uncommon’s “Money never felt like Monzo” positioning was memorable but clearly the bank is looking for something different from BBH.
Monzo’s move is part of an ongoing agency switch up in the banking sector. BBH decided not to re-pitch for Barclays, possibly because parent company Publicis Groupe was homing in on Santander, which it won in January and parked in a new Publicis Flame “power of one” set up.
As a challenger bank, Monzo will probably offer an agency more creative opportunities and less grunt work than the average financial services provider. Monzo continues to innovate in the sector and this week has launched a bill splitting feature, entered the home insurance market (aimed at renters) and introduced a business current account.
Monzo recorded its first full year of profitability last year, and is working to become “IPO ready” by the end of 2025.
