National Bank of Arizona saw the benefit of having colorful, eye-catching direct mail touch points mailed to new clients and accountholders. Each letter is color coded and tailored specifically to each clients' needs and account type.
The series of letters continues to grow as new, different types of accounts are opened each day in the branch or online.
Most large banks have onboarding programs in place for when new clients open accounts or are approved for credit cards. An onboarding program typically entails tracking the information of account-holders in order to send them communications during the life of their account.
These touch points allow for consumers to see what other bank programs are available and that could potentially benefit their accounts. National Bank of Arizona had no such program in place, but felt it was necessary to strengthen the relationship the bank has with its clients.
The idea for how to segment the information was a left-to-right process. Addressed, relevant letter first, benefit highlights second, and product marketing third. The marketing area would be where most of the attention is focused. This area was folded over in order to fit inside the envelope, but also because the reveal would be fulfilling to the viewer–and their attention would be paid because of that.
Graphically, I wanted this to look very streamlined and professional, not like the junk mail we all throw out from banks every day. I wanted staying power even if it was only for a few moments longer than normal.
Because this was a multi-part system, I thought color-coding each of the letters was important because of the number of letters and number of letter shell types. There were 3-4 different letters per product marketing section. The colors yellow, green, and blue, were chosen to represent each of the three steps in the process, thereby creating a color wheel effect. The resulting letters feature smart layout and clear hierarchy. These aren't your typical direct mailers from your typical financial institution.
