The Problem

Union Bank, the second oldest bank in Nigeria and once the biggest, had become a reference point for the incompetence that plagued the country. Although a comprehensive transformation effort helped the century-old institution fight its way back from the brink of extinction, public perception lagged behind.

Two years after what was believed to be a successful rebrand, the bank was still seen as old and outdated. We needed to prove people wrong.

Insight

Nigerians have been let down by their leaders. With over a third of the population living under the poverty line, trust in institutions, politicians, and even one another is low.

Yet Nigerians remain deeply religious. The faith they lack in leadership, they place in God. In this contradiction, we found our insight — Nigerians are hopeful pessimists. Despite daily struggles, they remain hopeful people who refuse to let their disappointments turn them into obvious cynics.

Big Idea

Enabling Success (Don’t Be an Uncle Thomas). With the worst recession in decades lingering and presidential elections looming, pessimism was at an all-time high. We needed to restore hope by calling out the “cynic” in all of us.

Borrowing from the biblical doubting disciple, we created “Uncle Thomas” — the ultimate pessimist. The campaign opens with a stark portrayal of Nigerian reality and ends with rousing, prayer-like invocations that promise a better future, with Union Bank by your side.

In line with Union Bank’s positioning as democratisers — the bank for the 99% — the film was shot entirely in Nigeria with an all-Nigerian cast and crew. We launched on Nigeria’s Independence Day across digital platforms, television, and cinemas. The film instantly struck an emotional chord with Nigerians. Social media was abuzz.