Client
Finance

Role
Art Director, Lead Designer

Contribution
Broadcast, Advertising,
Graphic Design

CEFCU, a credit union that has served its members in central Illinois for nearly 80 years, recently expanded its footprint to the San Jose region in California. For years, we have amplified the core of the CEFCU brand: a warmth that sets it apart from banks. At CEFCU, the message is that you are a not a customer but a member, a part of something bigger. It’s not a bank. It’s better. 

With the move to the west, we faced new challenges: how to maintain the authentic brand image we had built while also adding nuances that attract different demographics. Our audience has expanded to include a younger generation and more diverse groups of people. To create work that resonates with the two different markets, we developed strategic plans, consistent messages, and elevated the brand identity. Now, CEFCU has successfully grown in the Bay Area and deepened its roots in and around Peoria, Illinois.

Vinyl :30 (2018)
Team / 88 Brand Partners, More Media, Utopic Llc
My Contribution / Storyboard Development, Graphic Design

Bronze, The Telly Awards Winner, 2018 (Regional TV / General Bank)

The Right Mix :30 (2019)
Team / 88 Brand Partners, More Media, Utopic Llc
My Contributions / Storyboard Development, Graphic Design, On-site Art Direction

The new chapter in San Jose

There is no better place to reach our audience than on their daily commutes. We worked with our partner media company to turn the BART–Fremont stop into one of our channels. We designed a series of experience-related messaging with arresting graphics and patterns to communicate with these potential CEFCU members. With positive results, we have continued to do station takeovers every quarter.

One of our major audiences is the younger generation of Millennials, for whom the concept of a credit union might not be familiar. Our goal is simply to help them realize the benefits of this alternative to banks—especially with CEFCU. We worked to raise brand awareness through straightforward messaging and bold photography, and put CEFCU in the conversation for college students.

88 Brand Partners

Client / CEFCU (Citizens Equity First Credit Union)
Project Phase / Production, 2018–2019
Executive Creative Director / Joe Popa
Associate Creative Director / Terry Boyd
Senior Art Director / Andy Yamashiro
Art Director / Danielle Chen
Designer / Jessie Friesen

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