Kansas City’s Bernstein-Rein has won agency of record duties for Flagstar bank after a competitive review.
The Michigan-based Flagstar is the fifth-largest publicly traded savings bank in the country and one of the biggest in the Midwest. Its annual marketing spend is somewhat modest, totaling approximately $240,000 in 2015 according to Kantar Media.
Bernstein-Rein won out over four other finalists drawn from “an extensive field of contenders” in a review managed by AAR Partners. The business had previously been with Daniel Brian advertising of Rochester, Michigan, which won an October 2015 review.
“We connected right away with the entire Bernstein-Rein team, who not only brought us strategic and original ideas on how to tell our story, but also the process and operational discipline to bring those ideas to life,” said client SVP/CMO Matt Allen, who joined the company more than a year ago.
B-R will now be tasked with expanding on the “craft brand positioning” Flagstar introduced last spring; here is the anthem spot from that campaign.
“Flagstar is a future-forward brand, acutely aware that consumers value having a relationship with the financial institution they have entrusted with their money,” said Bernstein-Rein MD and StrawberryFrog veteran Chris Perkins.
B-R has made several major hires over the past six-plus months including creative lead Lara Wyckoff, EVP/director of strategy Steve Bullock (formerly with Mindshare) and VP of client engagement Perry Puccetti, who was formerly CEO of tech consultancy Triple-I.
[Image via Flagstar]