Screenshot from Civic CU's "When Everything Works – It’s Because They Do" ad. (Credit/Seez)
Creative minds within the credit union industry are always looking for new ways to attract consumers to the movement and convince them that a credit union is the best place to fulfill all their financial needs. Here are three unique marketing campaigns that recently launched or are set to launch in 2025.
Civic Credit Union’s ‘When Everything Works – It’s Because They Do’ Ad
With a membership composed of local government employees, the $3.9 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based Civic Credit Union’s latest advertising campaign focuses on how critical its members’ jobs are to residents’ day-to-day lives. The credit union partnered with the Raleigh-based marketing and advertising agency Seez to develop a commercial that imagines life without local government employees. It is currently active across digital, social and broadcast platforms.
The commercial depicts suburban families in unpleasant scenarios including showering in filthy water, seeing a mountain of trash bags pile up on the sidewalk and having their backyard meal interrupted by a raccoon, demonstrating the importance of trash collectors, water quality technicians and animal control officers.
According to Seez, “this campaign shines a light on the essential workers who make daily life possible yet rarely get the recognition they deserve,” adding that the campaign “calls for appreciation, delivered with honesty, humanity and a little bit of ‘what if.’”
Citizens Equity First Credit Union’s Gen Z Campaign
Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) targeted people aged 18-29 – a critical demographic for credit unions to capture if they want to survive and thrive in the future – with a recent multi-faceted marketing campaign that included social media ad placements and leveraging existing college athletics partnerships.
Partnering with the independent Chicago-based agency KSM Media, the $8.3 billion, Peoria, Ill.-based CEFCU said it reached its goal of acquiring 1,800 new Gen Z members through the campaign, which “succeeded by meeting Gen Z where they are – and challenging perceptions of what a credit union can be.”
CEFCU leveraged its existing partnership with Illinois State University, where it holds stadium naming rights and has engaged in several Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnerships with student athletes, by hosting financial education workshops for students. The workshops took place in collaboration with student athletes at community events, football camps, and at a homecoming football game and around campus, and covered topics such as the psychology of money, credit scores, how to maintain good credit, student loans, credit cards, investing basics, insurance and understanding your employment package.
Next, CEFCU placed short-form ads on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, as well as on streaming channels ESPN+ and CTV. It also utilized the in-game advertising solution Anzu and live-streaming service Twitch to connect with young online gamers via immersive ads. In one short-form ad placed on TikTok, a young woman at a desk explains the meaning of “balance,” “transaction” and “overdraft fees.” In a YouTube ad, a young man says while people previously warned him about getting a credit card, CEFCU helped him decide which card to get and how to use it “the smart way.”
CEFCU also increased its brand presence with out-of-home (OOH) advertising in areas with a high population of Gen Zers, including Champaign, Ill.; San Jose, Calif., where CEFCU maintains a partnership with San Jose State University Athletics; and in high-traffic student areas on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Ill. OOH advertising refers to ads people see when they’re out and about outside of their homes, such as billboards and public transit displays.
The Minnesota Credit Union Network’s Statewide Awareness Campaign
Following in the footsteps of the national “Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union” campaign developed by America’s Credit Unions when it was known as CUNA, the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) recently announced a statewide consumer awareness campaign, “It’s a Credit Union Thing.”
The campaign, which MnCUN said “is designed to spark curiosity and connection, especially among younger Minnesotans navigating major life milestones” and “aims to grow membership and deepen engagement by showing how credit unions are in step with members,” is set to run August through October 2025 and will feature paid media and grassroots tactics. The League said nearly 40% of its member credit unions have contributed to the effort so far, receiving access to a comprehensive marketing toolkit with customizable logos, social media templates and video content for local adaptation.
“Minnesota credit unions are once again leading the way,” MnCUN President/CEO Mara Humphrey said. “Minnesota was the first state to launch the national Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union campaign, and we are continuing a collaborative and innovative approach to inviting more Minnesotans to learn about the advantages of non-profit financial cooperatives for their families and communities.”
MnCUN reported that since Minnesota launched its first statewide awareness efforts in 2017, the likelihood of millennials joining a credit union has risen by more than 80%.
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