Seylan Bank, the Bank with a Heart, received two prestigious awards for the innovative ‘Who is Albert Uncle’ campaign at the recently concluded SLIM Digis 2.3, organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM). Seylan Bank secured a bronze award under the ‘Banking and Finance’ category, as well as a Merit award for ‘Best Digital Marketing Innovation’.
In the face of economic uncertainties during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in 2022, informal channels gained popularity due to favourable exchange rates and growing distrust in formal banking.
Seylan Bank, a longstanding player in formal remittances, sought to rebuild trust in formal remittance channels, reshaping perceptions, and strengthening the brand’s resilience amidst a rapidly changing banking climate through the campaign.
Seylan Bank’s revival of Albert Uncle successfully rekindled nostalgia among a broad audience, especially those who grew up with Albert Uncle as a symbol of reliability in the remittance landscape, turning the fictional character into a cultural icon. The character’s legendary status, created through an impactful commercial where he saves his nephew using Seylan Western Union, became a beacon of trust during the financial crisis leading to impressive campaign engagement.
Despite the challenges posed by the economic crisis, the ‘Who is Albert Uncle’ campaign achieved outstanding results, positioning itself as a national initiative. The digital execution by Loops Digital supported by Ogilvy PR, also aligned perfectly with Seylan’s futuristic brand identity.
The awards recognized the campaign’s effectiveness in engaging diverse demographics through social media to rebuild trust and boost formal remittance channels and pioneering innovation in the digital age.
Asiri Abhayaratne, Assistant General Manager, Marketing & Sales, Seylan Bank said, “As Sri Lanka’s original pioneer of digital banking innovations, we are extremely proud to receive the acknowledgment from SLIM Digis. As a bank committed to national prosperity and economic growth, Seylan Bank constantly challenges conventions and seeks creative ways to provide value, especially during challenging times. Reintroducing Albert Uncle enabled us to effectively communicate our obligation to facilitate vital inward remittances for the nation when it mattered most.”
As the winner of Sri Lanka’s first online banking award in 1995, Seylan Bank has embraced technology to make banking effortless, inclusive, and flexible. The SLIM Digis 2.3 awards showcases the Bank’s customer-centric vision of shaping progress in a dynamic digital ecosystem.
Seylan Bank also secured a bronze award for the revival of the Uncle Albert campaign at the Dragons of Asia 2023, concluded recently.