Some designers might see the world of banking as somewhat infertile ground for
creativity. We look at is as a challenge and feel the projects we've completed
for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas to be some of our best work to date.
As for a creative brief, we've found that the marketing decision-makers prefer saturated colors paired with dark backgrounds . No cheesy, cliche stock photography is allowed, which is just fine by us.
With these parameters in mind we've taken inventive use of color, composition, and concept to create a style which reinforces the message of each piece and FHLB's desired brand image.
Plan 9 created a custom 1930's style stock certificate which
morphs into a "virtual" document. Secure electronic transactions
are a major selling point for FHLB and the look of the right half of the certificate
reinforces those ideas.
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Who says interest rates can't be sexy? This direct mail piece
introduces FHLB's callable advance. This loan allows it's recipient to trade
in their interest rate for a lower one should interest rates fall. We used
the analogy of car trade-in to illustrate the concept behind the callable
advance.
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The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
hosts a gathering of its members to discuss
current events and the future of banking.
High profile speakers are invited and
the conference serves as both a learning
experience and a retreat.
An exchange of new
ideas made us think of the renaissance period,
when great progress was made in both the
arts and science. Since FHLB wishes to be
viewed as a forward-thinking organization,
we combined the renaissance styling with
colors, clean lines and shapes that connote
technology and contemporary graphic styles.
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This card was sent to all bank members advertising the 2007
conference. At the top is a cube showing a series of "firewalls" with
rows of encrypted data, a symbol of modern banking. This ideas is contrasted
with a sumerian cuneiform tablet which were used to record transactions during
that time period. The ancient/modern contrast echoes similar pairings found
in other materials created
to support
and promote the finance conference.
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Custom props, photography, and photo manipulation set the
stage for this direct mail piece advertising FHLB's Floored Advance, a loan
which protects its recipients' balance sheet from sinking interest rates.
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FHLB requested a sense of action and movement be apparent
in the redesign for Exchange, the in-house newsletter. Plan 9 submitted the
name "Exchange for it's monetary connotations and for the exchange of
information and ideas.
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Transactions on the internet can be a scary thing, we chose
an extreme closeup of a wad of glowing fiber optic strands (actually fishing
line) as a metaphor. As the piece is opened, the internet tangle is juxtaposed
with a clean environment, reminding the viewer of the security and efficiency
of conducting banking transactions online through FHLB's SecureConnect system.
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