Sovereign\Santander has a new agency and will soon have a new brand. Arnold Worldwide won the business after a review that included as finalists Mullen and SapientNitro.
Boston-based Sovereign was acquired by Spanish banking giant Banco Santander in 2009 and the U.S. unit is set to become a more aggressive marketer with its rebranding as Santander by early 2013. The bank has 722 branches in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
There was no incumbent agency. The bank worked with multiple shops, including the three review finalists, on specific assignments. Arnold is tasked with brand positioning, advertising, social, digital, sponsorships and analytics.
“This is about both overall branding strategy and migrating the Sovereign brand," said Andrew Benett, Arnold’s global CEO, in a statement.
The agency’s initial focus will be to establish an American brand strategy and create an internal campaign aimed at the bank's 8,700 associates in the U.S., before rolling out an external campaign in the middle of next year.
Arnold has been on a new-business winning streak this summer, picking up American Eagle Outfitters, the University of Phoenix and Kohler Co. in the last few months.
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