With the ‘Saving feels good’ positioning at the core of the strategy, we set out to prove that not all banks are cold; we wanted to create real-life 'feel good' moments. The content created could then be used to help the campaign punch above its weight.We backed a series of initiatives with The Kindness Offensive; including ‘The Everyday Kindness Awards’ - a unique way to embrace ‘Saving feels good’ and engage our target audience.Three scenarios were filmed to celebrate the fact that there ARE people who are willing to pause their everyday lives to help someone in need. People who helped were rewarded with a surprise celebration - a medal, some flowers, a bottle of champagne, and a rousing rendition of ‘For he’s a jolly kind fellow’!The result was a set of heart-warming, quirky videos that could be hosted on the Feel Good portal and on YouTube.

>195,000 people watched the films online (the videos equated to a cost of 9p-per-play – three times more effective that banner pay-per-click).‘The Everyday Kindness Awards’ were one of a series of ‘feel good’ brand initiatives that we ran over the summer, and helped contribute to the following metrics:‘Consideration’ tracking score rose by 5 percentage points.

New accounts increased by a whopping 48% YOY in the month the ‘Everyday Kindness Awards’ activity was live.In a year of few good news stories in UK banking, ING Direct proved that helping people feel good is a strategy for all climates.