PNC Bank, one of the largest financial services institutions in the U.S. with a national footprint, is unveiling a new brand campaign that boldly states what other banks won’t admit: Banking should be boring. The nearly 160-year-old brand is not only embracing this philosophy, it’s making it the hero by redefining boring as brilliant.
The national campaign, called “Brilliantly Boring since 1865,” acknowledges a core brand truth: PNC Bank keeps things boring, and that’s a good thing – especially when it comes to managing money responsibly. As the world continues to be defined by instability, boring’s defining attributes – like stability, pragmatism, consistency, and trustworthiness – have never been more valuable. While big banking can feel impersonal to many, PNC Bank is answering to an untapped, powerful consumer aspiration: the desire for simplicity and stability in a changing world.
Created by AOR Arnold Worldwide, a Havas company, the centerpiece of the multimillion-dollar effort is a :60 anthem TV spot, “Boring is Essential” that brings the bank’s philosophy to life: To be brilliantly boring with your money so you can be happily fulfilled with your life.
Actor Chris Diamantopoulos, best known for his roles in Silicon Valley, The Three Stooges, and the voice of Mickey Mouse, stars in the ad, showing how boring enables brilliant outcomes: it makes vacations happen, early retirements possible, and startups start up. Refreshingly self-aware, the spot blends high IQ with EQ, sharing PNC’s financial wisdom with a humble sensibility. The spot ends with the new tagline: Brilliantly Boring since 1865.
Elements of the campaign include TV, online video, digital, social, audio, OOH, print, branch merchandise, sponsorship and experiential activations that will roll out over the course of the year. Havas Media, part of the Havas Village, handled the brand media strategy, planning and buying.
The campaign represents the first major work for PNC Bank since it appointed Arnold as Marketing and Creative AOR in June 2023.
“We are thrilled to unveil our first work for PNC Bank at such a pivotal moment in the organization’s growth as a national leader,” said George Sargent, CEO of Arnold. “Arnold is at its best when we are partnering with ambitious clients who want to transcend category expectations – and we believe the brand platform we have created in partnership with the team at PNC does that in spades. The opportunity for ‘Brilliantly Boring’ to serve as both a highly focused value creation engine across audiences and, equally, as a growth driver across PNC’s businesses is infinite.”
CREDITS:
Client: PNC Bank
Agency: Arnold Worldwide
Chief Creative Officer: Sean McBride
Chief Client Officer: Val Bettini
Executive Creative Director: James Bray
SVP, Group Creative Directors: Sam Mullins, Justin Galvin, Joe Fallon
Copywriter: Pat Franklin
VP, Executive Producer: Whitney Bogosian
Producer: Michela Del Po
Marketing: Sarah Taylor, Casey Maguire
Project Manager: Kerry Lowe
Business Affairs Manager: Elyssa Ahern
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Director: Tim Godsell
Line Producer: Brady Vant Hull
DP: Bryan Newman
Editorial House: Arcade
Editor: Will Hasell
Assistant Editor: Drew Lang
Finishing & VFX: Electric Theatre Collective
Color: Luke Morrison
Record & Mix: Soundtrack Boston
Sound Design: Mike Secher
Music: Mophonics
Discussion about this post