Westpac uses Snapchat and Periscope in new campaign via DDB
Westpac has launched a social media campaign using Snapchat and Periscope. The campaign, which ran for 2 weeks, attracted 5.5 million viewers, 2 million of which came in the first three days.
For the launch of Westpac’s latest service, Westpac Get Cash, DDB Australia developed a groundbreaking social content campaign that saw Westpac give away $40,000 cash via Westpac ATM machines using live codes.

The Westpac Get Cash campaign reached over 5.5 million viewers over a two-week campaign which ended on Friday, and saw Westpac become the first Australian bank to use Snapchat and Periscope app.

The challenge for the campaign was to take the bank’s online ‘how-to’ tutorials about the newly launched Westpac Get Cash and invigorate them to capture the attention of the elusive Millennial market.

Westpac Get Cash allows you, or an authorised third party, to withdraw cash from your account, with a six-digit code, as opposed to a card. Typically banks use fake account numbers in these demonstrations so that viewers can’t use the numbers they see on screen to try to take money out fraudulently.

Westpac did the opposite, putting real, six-digit cash codes into a series of seemingly innocuous web films. When punched into any Westpac ATM these codes spat out real money in amounts from $50 and up to $300. In total over $40,000 was redeemed using the competition cash codes from Thursday 23 July to Friday 7 August.

To launch the service, DDB Australia developed a series of web films, broadcast on the Westpac website and seeded via social platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The tone of each film became increasingly offbeat and self-referential as the series progressed, letting everyone know Westpac was in on ‘the joke’.

The campaign saw Westpac become the first bank in Australia to use Snapchat and Periscope, enabling live broadcast from selected Westpac ATMs throughout Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The campaign received over two million views in the first three days alone and over 5.5 million to date via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

DDB Group Melbourne CCO, Darren Spiller, commented, “If you’re going to go all-in on social, you need to be original and you need to be bold. Let people discover your message, then reward them for getting involved.”

Elaine Herlihy, head of mass marketing services and Westpac Marketing and Brand, said, “This was different to anything that we’ve done before. The mechanics of the campaign were much more subtle than a traditional approach, in that we left it to the consumer to discover the ’rewards’ of paying attention to the online tutorials. We credited the audience with having a sense of humour and the curiosity to unpack the message for themselves and we’ve been thrilled by the reach we’ve achieved as a result.”

As a result of the campaign, individuals across Australia scoured their smartphones for videos and codes, understood the new product back-to-front, then experienced running down to a Westpac ATM to try Westpac Get Cash for themselves. It was part education, part promotion and in the end, the ultimate product demonstration.

Credits:

DDB:

Darren Spiller – Chief Creative Officer DDB Melbourne

Simon Bagnasco – Executive Creative Director DDB Melbourne

Glen Dickson – Creative Director DDB Melbourne

Chris Andrews – Art Director DDB Melbourne

Chris Hanrahan – Copywriter DDB Melbourne

Simon Thomas – Head of Onscreen DDB Melbourne

Carol Sinclair – Onscreen Producer DDB Melbourne

Marissa Brain – Editor DDB Melbourne

Alex Badham – Editor Freelance

Jimi Woo – Editor Freelance

Damian Dunne – Compositor Freelance

Josh Cameron – Motion Graphics DDB Melbourne

Grantley Smith – Director Sidekick

Marcus Ng – Senior Digital Designer Tribal Melbourne

Charlie Crang – Senior Digital Producer Tribal Melbourne

Milena Marin – Digital Designer Tribal Melbourne

Raksha Shetty – Web Developer Tribal Melbourne

Simone Blakers – Executive Lead DDB Sydney

Kristofer Taylor – Senior Business Director DDB Sydney

Angela Smith – Business Director DDB Sydney

Billie Hutchison – Business Director DDB Sydney

Nina Godinho – Business Manager DDB Sydney

Jess Glass – Business Manager DDB Sydney

Zac Messih – Business Coordinator DDB Sydney

Nick Andrews – Planning Partner DDB Sydney

Craig Bailey – Creative Partner DDB / RAPP Sydney

James Legge – Digital Programme Director DDB / RAPP Sydney

Damien Eames – Digital Planning Director DDB / RAPP Sydney

Sean O’Byrne – Senior Social Strategist DDB / RAPP Sydney

Margaret Sevenjhazi – Social Content Producer DDB / RAPP Sydney

Photography Christopher Tovo

Music and sound Gusto

WESTPAC:

Elaine Herlihy, Head of Marketing and Brand

Geoff Ikin, Head of Mass Media

Bella Howe, Senior Advertising Manager

Loren Elsegood, Senior Advertising Manager

Brad Pidgeon, Head of Social Media

Sophie Broad, Social Media Manager Wesptac

Carly Boyle, Senior Manager, Mass Media

Karen Ganschow, General Manager, Customer Relationship Marketing & Digital

Amy Zancanaro, Product Manager, Everyday Banking

MEDIACOM:

Andrew Da Silva – Director, MediaCom Sydney

Rachel Mackenzie – Manager, Mediacom Sydney

Sarah Goh – Performance Manager, MediaCom Sydney

Victoria Nguyen – Performance Executive, MediaCom Sydney

Matt Baker – Performance Assistant, MediaCom Sydney

Larisa Ishchenko – Social Director, MediaCom Sydney

Kamal Rana – Social Assistant, MediaCom Sydney

Susie Si – IPI Group Director, MediaCom Sydney

Linda Hosamsooi – IPI Director, MediaCom Sydney

Martyn Searles – IPI Manager, MediaCom Sydney

Steve Londish – IPI Executive, MediaCom Sydney

Susannah Collins – IPI Assistant, MediaCom Sydney

Mark Johnson – Digital Group Director, MediaCom Sydney

Ben McInerney – Digital Director, MediaCom Sydney

Kate Munro – Digital Manager, MediaCom Sydney

Laurence McLachlan – Digital Operations Manager, MediaCom Sydney

Matt Malacha – Senior Digital Executive, MediaCom Sydney

Beck Heuston – Digital Executive, MediaCom Sydney

Paige West – Digital Assistant, MediaCom Sydney