How U.S. Bank Leveraged AI for Targeted Audience Strategies

U.S. Bank Launches "The Power of Us" Campaign

U.S. Bank has recently introduced a nationwide campaign called "The Power of Us." This campaign utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to develop audience models for testing its creative strategies. The initiative marks the first campaign led by the new Chief Marketing Officer, Michael Lacorazza.

The campaign revolves around a brand video and three other spots that showcase the achievements of U.S. Bank, its employees, and clients working together. Both Spanish and English versions of the spots are available, with the English version narrated by actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

Supernatural AI's AI platform was utilized by the agency to create avatars of U.S. Bank's core target groups for developing the campaign strategy and conducting testing. The campaign will be featured on connected TV, broadcast, out-of-home, digital platforms, social media, and sponsorships.

AI's Impact on Marketing Campaigns

AI continues to attract marketers seeking to enhance their campaigns, whether through media investments or creative development. Klarna, for example, reported an 11% reduction in sales and marketing expenses in Q1 by leveraging AI for tasks such as image creation and editing. Similarly, Starburst is utilizing AI to produce campaign content in various scenes and styles. In a similar vein, U.S. Bank utilized Supernatural AI's capabilities to tailor its messaging to different audience segments by creating AI-generated avatars.

The campaign materials are designed to connect with a wide range of individuals, from business owners to new parents, as well as U.S. bank employees and institutional bankers. The hero video showcases people celebrating important life events like retirement and graduations, along with employees putting in extra hours at the office, trying to get work done on busy flights, and balancing work and personal life. A voiceover emphasizes that the bank is there to support both the joyful moments and the hard work: “It's challenging, but easier when you have the right people by your side.”

The bank's employees and their dedication to clients are highlighted in the voiceover: "If it's important to you, it's important to us."

In a statement, Lacorazza mentioned, "This year, we made a commitment to showcase the stories of our incredible clients in a way that emphasizes the people who are at the heart of our bank. The resulting campaign brings our purpose, Powering Potential, to life and shares our brand story through the moments that connect us all — from our clients to our tellers, advisors, branch managers, commercial bankers, and everyone in between."

The agency partnered with Supernatural AI, a New York City-based company known for its proprietary AI technology platform. They used this technology to create avatars representing six key target audiences for the bank: young affluent, midlife affluent, high net worth, SBO, corporate, and commercial. This helped shape the campaign strategy of "powering potential" from the start. The agency then tested this strategy and initial creative ideas with these specific audiences.

The agency reported that the AI-generated audience models all understood and appreciated the campaign's tagline, "The power of US." This insight was used to maintain consistency throughout all aspects of the campaign. Despite the complexity of the project, the speed-to-market was impressive, taking less than four months from start to finish.

U.S. Bank's newest campaign is the first one led by their new Chief Marketing Officer, Lacorazza. He started in this role last fall, as reported on LinkedIn. Before this position, Lacorazza worked at various companies such as Frontpoint, Wells Fargo (where he was also the CMO), TD Ameritrade, Digitas, and Marriott International.

Editor's P/S:

The "Power of Us" campaign by U.S. Bank demonstrates the transformative impact of AI in marketing. By leveraging Supernatural AI's platform to create audience avatars, the bank gained invaluable insights into the motivations and preferences of their target groups. This data-driven approach allowed them to tailor their messaging and creative strategies, ensuring that the campaign resonated with each audience segment. The success of this campaign showcases the potential of AI to revolutionize marketing by providing marketers with the tools to create highly personalized and effective campaigns.

Moreover, the campaign highlights the importance of storytelling in connecting with consumers. By showcasing the real-life experiences of clients and employees, U.S. Bank humanizes its brand and builds an emotional connection with its audience. This approach fosters a sense of trust and loyalty, which is essential for driving long-term customer relationships. The campaign's success underscores the enduring power of storytelling as a means to engage and inspire consumers.