Here in Canada we are waiting with baited breath for open banking. With open banking comes the ideal that banking should be much more transparent. And that it should be up to the people to decide how they share their financial information with other companies and that they be able to do it in a safe and secure way. As we wait for the era of open banking to begin, here are a few companies in Canada and beyond that are already changing the face of banking and finance
Habito (UK)
If you have ever applied for, or even refinanced, a mortgage, hell might be the first word to come to mind. Habito, a mortgage brokerage service, took notice of that and offered an alternative. Habito communications are nothing like anything the financial industry has ever seen. From ads with gruesome cartoons to a erotic e-book helping couples stay frisky during the sometimes difficult mortgage process, the brand is making a clear point that doing business with them is different from the competition (in the best way possible).
Check out the novel here (and hat tip to Unknown London, the agency behind the creative work):
https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=9057385345133481378
Starling Bank (UK)
Search most any image databases for photos related to banking and finance, and the majority will be of men. Look closer and one notices that those that do feature women, portray them in very different contexts than those with men. Women are less likely to appear in situations that are meant to portray important transactions and deals. Instead images with women show them conducting relatively minor transactions. A glaring difference.
Starling Bank, a digital bank founded on the idea of offering people a more fair and humane way to bank, wanted this to change. So they did something about it. The bank has created a bank of free to use images that show people that are unfortunately noticeably absent from campaigns by the big banks.
Check out the images here:
https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=8409939534365227916
P.S. For more information on the subject be sure to also check out Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
Koho (Canada)
In Canada you have a choice among 5 big banks. In some instances you can visit any of them and each feels just like the other. Staid and traditional. Or as Koho has recently called out, it’s all BS (Bank Stuff). The campaign lets people know that Koho offers the ability to bank without all that bank stuff like pens chained to a desk (or high fees). The double entendres of which the campaign is replete is a direct challenge to the old ways in which banks continue to operate.