First Bank’s Easter Campaign and Christ’s Resurrection

Raheem Akingbolu reviews the Easter commemorative campaign of First Bank, pointing out its creative essence and how it turned out to reflect both the resurrection of Christ and the 130th anniversary of the foremost financial institution

Perhaps a dictation of nature, analysts hardly pay attention to good and memorable campaigns but are always eager to display their zero tolerance for poor ones. Last year, a leading financial institution was in the news for the wrong reason over the misrepresentation of ‘Jesus resurrection’ with the popular ‘Agege bread’ in its Easter Campaign. The campaign set the bank against relevant stakeholders, including the advertising industry regulator -Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

To celebrate the season this year, many brands again churned out beautiful campaigns between Friday last week (Good Friday) and Easter Monday, which spoke to the essence of the global festival. In particular, 130 year-old First Bank of Nigeria, raised the stake higher with its double-edged sword Easter campaign.

Through its creative agency -SO & U, a leading creative agency, the bank conceptualised a witty Easter Campaign for its 130th Anniversary but the ad achieved more than that as it cleverly summarised the significance of the season.

Yes, the campaign, which appeared on various platforms, including print and social media, cleverly announced to the world that First Bank is 130 year-old this year, but how the numbers were equally painstakingly used to tell the biblical story of Jesus with few words and three numbers remains a mind-boggling creative ingenuity.

The use of imagery and figures to capture the essence of one of the most significant annual rituals of Christians should be commended.

First is the number ‘1’ in the creative material. The belief among Christians is that there is only one God.

However, when you take this further, there is the concept of Trinity which figure ‘3’ connotes here. The concept of Trinity indicates that there are three persons in one God- ‘God the Father, God the Son and God the ‘Holy Spirit. But only one God encapsulates the concept of Omniscience and Omnipresence. So, there is a meeting point between One and Three in the creative material, which ramifies the power of resurrection as the cornerstone of Easter celebration.

Now the Zero number indicates that death has no power over Him (Jesus), which confirms another core belief of the Christian faith that His death was more of victory over death rather than forgiveness of sins.

First Bank should be commended for this creative work in a season of love and forgiveness. It is also instructive going by the sensitivity of many Christians to the kind of messages churned out by brands in periods like this going by the unsavoury outcome of a similar message from a brand (a bank) a few years ago.

First Bank also played on its premium and brand positioning positions in one of its Easter creative materials when it said: “He put us all First” on the graphic illustration of the cross.

No wonder, the campaign’s witty and thought-provoking post on social media has continued to generate significant talkability and engagement, making it a remarkable success story worth highlighting.

The campaign’s success can be attributed to many factors but creative concept is a major one. The cleverly crafted social media post, which read, “1 man rose after 3 days, death had 0 power over him,” struck a chord with the audience, especially patrons of the First Bank brand. It skillfully combined the essence of Easter with First Bank’s 130th anniversary, creating intrigue and sparking conversations among social media users.

Another important factor is the memorable messaging. The concise and impactful messaging of the post resonated strongly with the audience. By drawing parallels between the resurrection story and First

Bank’s enduring legacy, the campaign successfully conveyed a sense of resilience, longevity, and relevance, capturing the attention and curiosity of online users.

It’s also clear that viral potential elements in the campaign play vital roles. The campaign’s originality and relevance to the Easter season led to its widespread sharing across various social media platforms. The witty nature of the post naturally encouraged users to engage with it, resulting in increased visibility and talkability. The campaign quickly gained traction, leading to viral discussions and amplification across online communities.

Finally, the social media buzz appears to be the magic wand: The campaign’s witty post sparked conversations, and shares among social media users. It became a trending topic, generating a significant buzz and boosting First Bank’s online presence. The post’s humor and thought-provoking nature prompted users to share their interpretations, further extending the campaign’s reach and impact.

As a result of all these, the campaign brought about a practical brand recall and engagement. By cleverly integrating the bank’s 130th anniversary with a universally recognized Easter theme, First Bank successfully reinforced their brand identity and values. The campaign encouraged meaningful engagement, prompting users to connect with the brand, share their experiences, and express their appreciation for the creative approach.

The success of this witty Easter campaign showcases First Bank’s ability to resonate with its audience and create memorable experiences through innovative marketing strategies.

Regardless of how old or young a brand is, it will always crave for exposure anytime the opportunity arises. A conscious brand manager needs to constantly frame strategies and apply tactics to get his brand in the forefront.

To achieve this, memorable dates and popular events are always the channel to connect and re-engage the target audience.

This explains why brands always jump over one another to be heard during the Easter season. Of course, what platforms would have been more attractive than a global one that celebrates Jesus and enjoys the buy-in of all Christians. First Bank and others have successfully leveraged on that opportunity this year.

Considering the significance of 2024 to First Bank, its promoters will definitely explore every available opportunity and apply relevant tactics to get the brand in the forefront this year to consolidate its leadership position.

As the Bank hits a tremendous milestone of 130 years of being in existence on March 31st, 2024, its spin doctors will definitely beam a light on how the institution has evolved into a financial heavyweight and a formidable force not only in the banking industry but in the nation and beyond.

Throughout its long and illustrious history, FirstBank has played a vital role in the economic development of Nigeria. Not only has it served as a monetary and fiscal policy regulator for the entire West African region, but it has also been at the forefront of technological, industrial, and societal advancements across the country.

As with its names, the banking giant has attained countless firsts, demonstrating resilience and support through periods of rapid and radical changes. It has also pioneered and charted the course in the financial industry and the nation.

The 2024 Easter Advertising material of the bank is another positioning and pace-setting communication tool that must have won for the bank a huge following.