Nationwide has been named Which? banking brand of the year, which they are celebrating with a new ad that again puts A.N.Y. Bank CEO Hugo (actor Dominic West) in a sticky situation. This time he’s organised an extravagant – but premature – party in anticipation of winning the Which? accolade himself.
A.N.Y. Bank has been Nationwide’s creative foil since the campaign was launched by previous agency New Commercial arts in 2023. Mother is gallantly running with it, riffing on West’s famous “Muffin me” line, which has now escalated to “Blimp me” as he demands a giant helium balloon as part of the short-lived celebrations.
Richard Warren, director of brands & marketing at Nationwide, said: “Being named Which? Banking Brand of the Year is a huge honour and a testament to how we put our members first every day. This ad celebrates that achievement in typically playful A.N.Y. Bank style, while reminding people why being a mutual, not a bank, makes all the difference as we are owned by our members – not shareholders.”
Dickie Connell, creative director at Mother, said: “This instalment is pure wish-fulfilment for Dominic West’s character – all the ego-driven excess you’d expect when a bank jumps the gun. It’s a fun way to celebrate a genuine win while hammering home what makes Nationwide different: they actually earned it by putting members first.”
