first direct has a history as a challenger bank with excellent customer service that acts differently. It’s a bank that’s run digitally and over the phone, with no branches, and is owned by HSBC.

The CMA ranking was the first of its kind, and the first ever official ranking of all UK banks – so a big deal for first direct to come out on top in every category it was eligible for.

The campaign drew from meme culture, using the well-known “you’re absolutely right” meme as the payoff for its Old Street station executions.

It also played on phrases associated with the surroundings. For example, “please move down inside the carriage” is always heard at busy times on the underground.

The sarcastic tone of voice let the audience know that they had a sense of humour and allowed it to shout about its success without becoming unlikeable

The campaign played on the fact that first direct was putting loads of posters up. With its knowing tone of voice, it said how embarrassed it was or how awkward it found it that all these posters were talking about how well it’d done – well aware that everyone knew it’d have had to have booked them all.

Each line was tailored to the site it was at, talking about a characteristic of its surroundings. Some referred to the number of posters, some talked about people on their commutes, some playing on the size of the executions, or even taking inspiration from sayings or signs you’d normally come across in that specific location.