UBS launches global brand campaign
Campaign photography by Annie Leibovitz
New brand design, tone of voice and sonic logo
Campaign media investment over 70% digital
PR Newswire, Zurich, 1 September 2015
UBS launched its first global brand campaign since 2009 today, reflecting the firm’s strategic transformation and future direction. Featuring a distinctive brand film as well as advertising with images by Annie Leibovitz, the campaign also refreshes the strong UBS brand with a contemporary look and feel. The external launch follows a three-month internal campaign that inspired unprecedented rates of employee engagement.
“The brand campaign is an expression of the successful strategic transformation UBS has undergone over the past four years,” said Sergio P. Ermotti, Group Chief Executive Officer. “Reflecting the strategic transformation through our branding gives us additional momentum.”
Together, we can find an answer
The brand campaign features a brand film with a series of questions asked in the voice of clients. The film consists only of text on a white background accompanied by Family of the Year’s hit song “Hero.” The campaign line following the film and all other advertising is “For some of life’s questions you are not alone. Together we can find an answer.” The photography for the campaign features portraits by Annie Leibovitz of entrepreneurs who embody specific questions.
Reflecting the focus UBS places on sharing expertise, all advertising links back to a microsite that addresses a number of the questions from the campaign with thought-provoking content. Over the next two years, for example, this will include video interviews with more than 40 Nobel-Prize-winning economists.
New brand design, tone of voice and sonic logo
With the brand campaign, UBS is also introducing a new mobile and digital-friendly brand design, a simpler and clearer tone of voice and a new sonic logo. These elements as well as the campaign approach are based on extensive research undertaken by the firm over the past two years. The research focused on client personalities and motivations, factors differentiating UBS and testing of campaign execution.
“We were going for a uniquely recognizable and emotional campaign and a brighter more modern UBS brand. Really doing our homework with exhaustive research and testing helped get us there,” said Hubertus Kuelps, Group Head of Communications & Branding.
Digital execution
Reflecting the media consumption of its client base, over 70% of the media investment for the campaign is focused on digital channels including social media. This allows UBS to target its specific client audience while also measuring the success of the individual creative assets to optimize and adapt them as needed.
“Our clients stand at the center of this campaign and the vast majority of them are extremely digitally savvy,” said Johan Jervøe, Chief Marketing Officer. “They appreciate a bank that has an effective and efficient 21st-century approach to everything it does – including marketing.”
Annie Leibovitz partnership
In conjunction with the global brand campaign, UBS has announced a wider cultural partnership with Annie Leibovitz. The bank has commissioned a body of new work from the photographer, focusing on portraits of women who effect positive change. These and existing works will be shown at an international exhibition tour entitled “Women.” The exhibition will launch in London in January 2016 and travel to 10 global cities over 12 months. Alongside the commissioned photography, UBS will present behind-the-scenes footage online offering glimpses of how the celebrated photographer works and gains insight into her subjects.
To access the advertising material, the microsite and further information go to: www.ubs.com/together.
UBS worked with Publicis, Poke, Prophet, SNK, Format Punkt E, The Writer, Massive Music and Mediavest on the brand strategy, design refresh, creative execution and media investment.
About UBS
UBS is committed to providing private, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland, with superior financial advice and solutions, while generating attractive and sustainable returns for shareholders. Its strategy centers on its Wealth Management and Wealth Management Americas businesses and its leading universal bank in Switzerland, complemented by its Global Asset Management business and its Investment Bank. These businesses share three key characteristics: they benefit from a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital-efficient, and offer a superior structural growth and profitability outlook. UBS’s strategy builds on the strengths of all of its businesses and focuses its efforts on areas in which it excels, while seeking to capitalize on the compelling growth prospects in the businesses and regions in which it operates. Capital strength is the foundation of its success.
UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 countries, with about 35% of its employees working in the Americas, 36% in Switzerland, 17% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 12% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group employs about 60,000 people around the world. UBS Group AG shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.
UBS Group AG
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