UBS TV Ads

VIDEO 1
http://www.ubs.com/1/e/about/brand/tv_spots/everywhere/emea.html

As far as global advertising campaigns go, UBS (United Bank of Switzerland) had a major expenditure on TV based commercials, in order to boost their image and promote the essence of their company. UBS's campaign is a marked departure from traditional advertising strategy, as rather than simply promoting the merits of UBS's products and services, the campaign's "You & Us" theme highlights the intimate approach UBS takes to its client relationships. The wide-ranging global television and print advertising campaign is founded on extensive internal and external research. It focuses explicitly on the importance and strength of UBS's client relationships, which are backed by the powerful resources of the firm.

As I see it, this was the big investment that the company took to establish a long-term effort to make clients around the world, better understand how the firm is committed to working with and helping them meet their needs. It wasn’t just an isolated advertising campaign as there were numerous print ads which ran, as well as the TV commercials that went along with it. This advertising campaign also marks the next phase in the implementation of their brand strategy, which is to exploit the tight-nit relationship the bank has with its customers, and is also the new basis for their future brand communication.

VIDEO 2
http://www.ubs.com/1/e/about/brand/tv_spots/listening/us.html

The campaign's tagline, "You & Us," underlines the intimacy of the relationship between individual clients and their advisors - an intimacy that is reinforced by the campaign's image of "two-ness" - two people together in different situations - images clearly symbolizing the client and his or her advisor. The notion of two-ness was so fundamental that the actors were chosen in pairs. Furthermore, all of the advertisements revolve around two people, whether they are sitting at a restaurant table, seen from above crossing a road or meeting in a conference room. All the TV adverts are depicting entirely familiar situations where a client and advisor may choose to meet.

VIDEO 3
http://www.ubs.com/1/e/about/brand/tv_spots/cross_segment/emea.html

All of the situations that you see in the commercials illustrate the intimacy of the client-advisor relationship, an intimacy that is further reinforced by the voiceover that accompanies the images. The voice that has been chosen for the ads, sounds very human and not resonant like a corporate voice, but one that is more reassuring, like the voice of a trusted friend. The background images of skyscrapers, offices and open spaces all seem to subtly reinforce the message that a UBS advisor has the support of a large, powerful institution able to mobilize global resources on a client's behalf. I think that the advisors also play a crucial role in all the advertisements, as they become the face of UBS. Clients can access the "UBS universe" of products, services, tools and resources through their advisor. However, with the 'You & Us' strap line the bank formulates a promise to its customer, but only the firm's employees can prove, in their day-to-day contact with clients, that it's a promise that will be kept. I wonder if this promise has been fulfilled and given these well crafted adverts justice?