Campaign Concept

Taking a look at UBS's global advertising campaign.

UBS's campaign is a marked departure from traditional advertising strategy. Rather than simply promoting the merits of UBS's products and services, the campaign's "You & Us" theme highlights the intimate approach UBS takes to its client relationships.

The wide-ranging global television and print advertising campaign is founded on extensive internal and external research. It focuses on the importance and strength of UBS's client relationships which are backed by the powerful resources of the firm.

It is a decisive first step in a long-term effort to make clients around the world better understand how the firm is committed to working with and helping them meet their needs. "This is not an isolated advertising campaign," says Bernhard Eggli, Head of Brand Management. "It marks the next phase in the implementation of our brand strategy and the new basis for our future brand communication."

The concept of "two-ness"

The campaign's tagline, "You & Us," underscores the intimacy of the relationship between individual clients and their advisors - an intimacy that is reinforced by the campaign's image of "two-ness" - two people together in different situations - images clearly symbolizing the client and his or her advisor.

The notion of two-ness was so fundamental that the actors were chosen in pairs. Furthermore, all of the advertisements revolve around two people, whether they are sitting at a restaurant table, seen from above crossing a road or meeting in a conference room. We are depicting entirely familiar situations where a client and advisor may choose to meet.

All of the situations were also chosen to illustrate the intimacy of the client-advisor relationship, an intimacy that is further reinforced by the voiceover that accompanies the images. "It's a very human voice," explains Eggli. "Not resonant like a corporate voice - more reassuring, like the voice of a trusted friend."

The background images - skyscrapers, offices, open spaces- were chosen for a clear purpose. They all subtly reinforce the message that a UBS advisor has the support of a large, powerful institution able to mobilize global resources on a client's behalf.

The advisors also play a crucial role in all the advertisements. According to Mark Roeder, Global Head of Advertising "The advisor becomes the face of UBS. Clients can access the "UBS universe" of products, services, tools and resources through their advisor". "With 'You & Us' we formulate a promise," says Roeder "But only the firm's employees can prove, in their day-to-day contact with clients, that it's a promise that will be kept."