CB Poll: What do you think of the CommBank Can campaign via M&C Saatchi – a hit or a miss?
May 28 2012, 3:09 pm | | 42 Comments
After the big buildup, is the ‘CommBank Can’ campaign a winner for the bank and M&C Saatchi?
UPDATE: So far, 34 hours after the campaign launched (6am on Sunday), 65% of CB Bloggers say it’s a Hit, with 300 votes cast.
42 Comments
This is proof that I’m old and irrelevant.
Back in the 90’s I devised a massive campaign for Westpac while I was at Weekes Morris Osborn. The line was ‘WESTPAC CAN’. Yes, honestly. And it had a lot of money thrown at it. It ran in all media for months, particularly on TV, reversed the bank’s flagging fortunes and attracted over a billion dollars into the bank’s coffers.
I guess the creatives who devised the new ‘COMMBANK CAN’ campaign and the client who approved it weren’t born then. Either that or the dope they’re smoking these days destroys your memory even more efficiently than the stuff we used to enjoy.
Neither campaign could be considered a breakthrough – to say that a bank CAN is a statement of the bleeding obvious in a market segment where there’s very little you can say.
I don’t flatter myself that this was my finest work.
But that an identical campaign theme has been created for two competing brands certainly says something about the ad industry. I’m just not sure what that is..
Wow. That was a particularly bitter little rant about those crazy ‘dope smoking’ youth of today.
The fact that nobody seems to remember your ‘recent’ campaign speaks volumes for it.
Monty,
With all due respect, I disagree.
An innovative, tech savvy solutions fin services provider must not only communicate the products and services they offer but ground that in a Can do philosophy.
That is as relevant today as it was during your Westpac days. And as justly proud you are of your work you’re treading dangerous ground if you’re claiming your ‘can’ campaign was the first time that had been used in advertising.
I’m sure, that once the industry scuttlebutt and bitching has died down and some new victim is found for the serial naysayers that this campaign will be more than successful, it will be a great success.
Miss.
A simple ‘been done’ and a link to the proof will suffice thanks.
yes, positive statements for brands are the bread and butter of adland.
‘CAN’ has probably been a tagline for 48 campaigns.
it’s what you do with ‘CAN’ that matters, and how you execute it, in ways relevant to today and the audience you’re talking to in the market you’re reaching.
so far, so good for this iteration of CAN.
Like Blackberry’s recent ‘Wake Up’ campaign, the simplicity of this idea has cut thru however even blind freddy could see the reveal coming.
I think the CAN idea from Comm bank is very lazy. I agree with Monty, who has guts to put his name to an opinion.
Anyone can see this is a boring, uninspired ad. A bad print ad no one would read being read aloud by a chick on a chair.
This is what happens when a dying agency wins an account based on fee from a world-class agency.
These pat on the back comments must be patriotic.
whats the difference between Optus ‘Yes’ and Commbank ‘Can’ ?
exactly…
Yipes:
Your misguided and possibly libelous comments show a total lack of knowledge of both advertising and the agencies within.
That makes you another anonymous junior cunt.
Where can I get the poem??
Too long and not clever enough.
Dear Yipes
For your information, M&C didn’t discount to get the CommBank business. This client believes in playing and paying fair. So, wrong there. And if your comments are just part of the on-going ‘M&C only win business on price’ nonsense I’ll also remind you that Optus declared to all agencies they only wanted to pay 1.4 x plus the usual production etc. That’s what I believe M&C is getting paid [no-one has any reason to believe otherwise], but that didn’t stop one multi-national offering to handle the business for free for the first 12 months, plus use their off-shore resources to help service the account [ a legitimate way to win and manage low fee business]. So, no M&C cost-cutting there either. Next time, you’d do well to get your facts right rather than regurgitate the mindless industry crap that masquerades as truth.
As for agencies cutting their fees – they all do it from time to time. Do you think Clems charges all their clients the same? And as for originality …… please show me some, if you can. ‘Can it said” is 100% right on that one.
Optus ‘yes’ must be happy their positioning has been borrowed by the agency
No can in cannes
Haters the haters the haters..
Surely everyone can actually be constructive about their thoughts, rather than just ranting mindless points of view.
Clearly they had to set up the idea of ‘Can’t’ in the tease, to deliver on ‘Can’.
Nice brand work. Simply positionining. Unique in the banking market.
Creatively engaging and stands out.
Be interested to see other spots as they launch..
@second opinion: With all due respect, the lolly-pop ladies don’t constitute as doing much with this campaign as of yet.
The agency spelt ‘cant’ wrong. The ‘A’ should have been a ‘U’. This is what a bank really means to us. Pack of cants.
Was it this monstrosity Monty?
I will now forever associate the word CANT with CommBank….and CUNT.
I called CBA to lower my home loan interest rate and guess what they said?
CAN’T
False advertising.
The Commbank campaign is nothing more than a very lazy, safe, tried and true execution designed to win business by targeting the internal client. It’s bangers and mash served up on a different plate. Having said that consumers aren’t stupid because they know that CBA CAN’T deliver on it’s service promise of CAN and that’s where this campaign is flawed.
‘ I CAN give myself and the top execs BIG bonuses and payouts….’
From personal experience I know Comm Bank actually can’t. Don’t spend money on a massive ad campaign, just get your service right and become a genuine option for customers. Maybe then we will believe your ads instead of thinking of the “Can” message as a complete falsehood.
I could swallow “Determined to be different”, CBA know they aren’t great but are willing to try.
But “can” – are you fucking joking CBA?????? You’re customers know you say “can’t” more politely than any other bank – but it’s still “can’t”!!!!
If the campaign is successful, then more Australians who CAN’T afford it, will get into debt.
‘Want a $500k loan, but can only afford $250K? Sure we CAN help you!’
That’s terrible, Muriel.
Why on Earth would Toni Collette sell her soul like this? Does she really need that much money? Does the bank really think that the average Joe with the average mortgage will be sucked in by this utter nonsense?
It’s interesting how many of the critics of the Commbank ‘Can’ ad have chosen to keep their identities anonymous. At least Monty had the guts to put his name to his critique. I bet the same critics would be falling over themselves to put their names to any success they may have with an idea. Come out from behind your pseudonyms and maybe you might have the credibility you claim this Commbank ad doesn’t have.
By the way, when’s the last time we heard something positive and uplifting and motivating, from anyone in a leadership position – be it government or business?
This country is drowning in self-doubt and fear for the future and there’s nobody showing a lead. We’re rudderless. Neither political party has any sense of its duty to the people they claim to represent. Just a self-centred desire to keep the job or get it. Lies piled upon deceptions buried in ineptitude. Boy are we anything but a lucky country right now.
So, a bank decides to say something positive. Can instead of can’t. Is that so bad? Creatively or commercially or, as is their duty too, out of some level of corporate citizenship? Sure, the word ‘can’ is not original. Sure, it’s not the cleverest idea ever to come out of M&C but maybe, just maybe, clever isn’t needed. Maybe just something normal, something my mum can understand, something that we all want to hear is what is needed.
I don’t hear it coming from anywhere else. Do you?
You don’t have to agree with what I’ve said, but at least you know who’s saying it. Good in you Monty for standing up. And shame on all you other oh so clever critics with such decidedly uncreative pseudonyms.
Alex…why so defensive?
creatively…you can’t deny it’s lazy.
Its so try hard to top NAB’s breakup
Just what Australia needs.
A bank that CAN’T say no.
‘ We know you CAN’t afford the repayments, but we’ll give you the money anyway.’
This is irresponsible.
And by the way, ‘Stop banking’ CAN’T be my real name.
CBA actually have a superior offering in many ways to the other banks. I am sure CAN will work better when they get into the product more.
But right now it’s lazy, predictable, less than average creatively, patronising and too easily parodied. Not a great start
I have no idea what the follow up ads are going to be, but the possibilities are endless. Those of you who are so quick to call it lazy bla bla bla have no idea what’s to follow. Hopefully you’ll be gobbling your own bile in the upcoming weeks and years.
Wouldn’t it be great if we actually gave a shit as much about real issues rather than the fact Commbank have just spent millions (again) on a campaign that is quite bluntly, an irresponsible lie?
Today we all woke to the news that the Syrian regime yesterday massacred over 100 people including a large percentage of kids. Sadly some of us are more concerned with the removal of a single letter and wether it’s perceived negative or positive.
As a fellow adland creative, I couldn’t give a rats about Commbank or any bank. If this were a campaign that actually did some good it’d be brilliant ad we’d all applaud it.
Let’s spend our time on creating something worthwhile and quickly show this campaign for it really is. A waste of time and (other people’s) money.
Now surely that is a positive step?
More banking, less pranking?!
“Yes we can”, now where has that been used before…?
In an ad category full of pathetic ideas, poor humor and gormless performances, I found the tvc, by contrast refreshing, with Toni Collette delivering a piece of poetry direct to camera – and without me cringing. It is mature. I get the message. I liked it.
Like someone above said, this is a campaign meant to stroke the egos of those who work at Comm bank. If you’re going to change the negative perception why not stop spending your customer’s hard earned on boring ad campaigns and exorbitant CEO salaries and just drop your fees and rates?
Dear Jack Sparrow
How juvenile you sound. This is advertising. If you’re opposed to corporations, governments and interest groups spending money on advertising then you’re in the wrong industry. Oh, and just for my interest; would you be happy with the CEO’s ‘exorbitant salary’ if it you liked the campaign?
Pretty shit for the size of their budget.
Here’s a slogan they can mull over: Why can’t they reduce their rates at the same time the RBA does? hahaha
Bunch of can’ts!