Leeds, 23rd April – Following a competitive pitch, independent creative agency Born Ugly has been appointed by LHV Bank, securing a three-year partnership to develop the financial institution’s brand platform and deliver integrated campaigns for its savings-focused retail bank.
With offices in Leeds, Manchester and London, LHV Bank has experienced strong growth in its second full year since launch across both retail and business services, doubling deposits and loans in 2025 As a part of this next phase, the bank is looking to sharpen its brand positioning and build a platform capable of driving long-term differentiation in a competitive retail bank environment.
The partnership reflects a shared ambition to move beyond traditional brand building and into work that connects strategy with execution. LHV Bank was seeking a partner that could not only define a compelling brand platform, but also bring it to life through impactful, scalable campaigns. Born Ugly’s integrated approach positions the agency to deliver exactly that, ensuring the platform translates seamlessly into creative that resonates in-market.
Clare Deacon, Head of Strategy, Born Ugly said: “At Born Ugly we believe the real risk for brands isn’t rejection, it’s being ignored. With the antidote to indifference being a brand-first approach, where brand drives everything a business does, making every action work harder. There’s a proven link between strong brand work and commercial success and it’s something our clients are increasingly confident in. Rather than managing multiple agency relationships, they’re looking for a single partner who can connect the dots, between brand, comms and campaign that makes the process simpler, more coherent and more consistent.
With low levels of brand awareness in the UK, we knew LHV Bank needed to be understood before anything else. So we focused on creating meaning before scale. Building a sharp, memorable brand platform that people will understand, relate to, and act on. Not noise for its own sake, but a clear point of view on what banking should and shouldn’t be
What excites us most about the opportunity with LHV Bank is in how we tell this story, ensuring the ideas we create translate into campaigns that really deliver.”
Sally Rushton, Head of Marketing, LHV Bank added: “We’re strengthening our retail offer and expanding savings products to bring laser focus to our proposition of fair value and clear rates for customers who want their money to work harder.
Appointing Born Ugly as a brand and creative partner has been an essential step forward to help tell that story. We’re excited to develop the brand platform and create campaigns that will support our next stage of growth.”
LHV Bank specialises in providing retail banking for UK consumers, SME Lending solutions for UK business, and banking services for global fintechs. LHV Bank is a subsidiary of LHV Group, a rapidly growing financial group and capital provider based in Estonia.
