Synovus announced the expansion of its first brand campaign, “the bank of here,” to 16 additional markets across the Southeast, including  Augusta, Brunswick, Columbus, and Statesboro, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Tampa, Fernandina Beach, and Pensacola, Florida; and Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. This expansion follows an initial launch in Atlanta and Birmingham this past April during The Masters golf tournament.  Media support includes television, print, and digital advertising.

The campaign highlights Synovus’ strong community ties and ability to connect with customers through personal relationships – strengths validated in research with 6,000 customers and prospects – combined with the capabilities of a larger bank.

“Differentiating Synovus from other regional and national competitors is an important driver of our growth strategy,”said Kessel Stelling, Chairman and CEO of Synovus. “By emphasizing the strength of the local ties we’ve built through our 28 community bank brands and the full capabilities of Synovus, customers and prospects will see new ways we can meet their needs and help them succeed. The more unique the banking needs, the more our team can offer because we know our communities and our regions inside and out.”

The campaign is designed to create awareness of Synovus and show the strong connection with its community bank brands. Customers are most familiar with their local bank division name, and it is important that they also associate Synovus with that local banking relationship.

“What’s most important for Synovus right now is defining who we are. Up until now, we’ve done that through our customers and word of mouth.  This campaign helps us amplify that message by bringing to life what we actually stand for as a brand – real, human connections made through our strong local ties,” says Loree Link, Director of Marketing.

The campaign is unique for the financial services industry, where advertising is dominated by features and products. The work is highly emotional, highlighting a more personal approach to banking relationships with a bank that can truly serve customers “here” – wherever they may be – geographically or in various stages of life.

The first spot, titled “Here’s to Here,” features a series of vignettes accompanied with a voiceover that plays off the word “here.”  The spot ends with the brand’s key message:  “Here should be the most important place to your bank. Because here is where you are.”

A second spot, called “Rebel Teen,” shows a boy who rebels in an unexpected way, deciding to stay right in his hometown, where he will get married, take over and expand a business, buy a home, and raise a family – all of these life stages of which Synovus is a key part.  This second commercial, along with print and digital advertising, promotes Synovus’ broader capabilities, such as wealth management, mortgage services, and equipment financing that current and prospective customers typically associate with larger bank holding companies.

The television ads are posted on synovus.com/bankofhere and can be seen on the Synovus YouTube channel.