Owning community.

• Farmers State Bank was founded by  one of the town fathers of Victor, in the heart of the Bitterroot Valley. The early leaders of the bank were influential in bringing electricity and telephone service to the valley. The bank grew as the valley grew. We sought to communicate that history and commitment to an influx of newcomers. The solution was the Community Commitment campaign. We’d found that an amazing number of the bank’s employees suffered from a rare affliction—helping others. They’re baseball and track coaches, scout leaders, soccer referees, hospital board members, EMTs, firefighters, charity organizers—all volunteers giving their time to the community. We created a series of ads featuring these individuals and their volunteer roles, highlighting the interconnectedness of everyone living in the valley.
• Our original online banking campaign focused on the product’s advantages—seeing your finances at any hour of the day, from wherever is convenient for you.
• One risk of living in a forested Montana valley is the ever-present threat of forest fires. When a dangerously dry summer led to devastating fires in the region, Farmers responded with support for fire crews and families affected by the fire. They also wanted to add a message of solidarity and hope. We helped them create a TV spot that had nothing to sell and no product to tout. The bank and the people of the valley had survived similar trials in their 100-year  history; the spot reinforced that this time would be no different.
• In a similar vein, we created a pair of TV spots that were less about Farmer State Bank’s services than about the advantages of life in the Bitterroot. The “Lake” and “River” spots celebrated the joys of living close to nature and reflecting on what’s truly valuable in life.