Access Commitment: Access Means

U.S. Bank Access Commitment: Access Means

Client: THE CUSP AGENCY
Creative Director: Jose Rodriguez
Designer: Danielle Balbone
Copywriter: Errol de Jesus

The Brief

To engage Black consumers, U.S. Bank came to us for a creative approach to its Access Commitment initiative.

The insights into the behaviors of Black millennials led us to craft authentic and meaningful messaging that positioned U.S. Bank as a trusted financial advocate.

Together with the creative team I helped frame language that focused on Access and used the line “Access means _____” to connect with Black consumers wanting to purchase a home, start their own business, or manage their wealth.

Deliverables included social media copy, print ad messaging, and scripts for radio and TV.

The Process

U.S. Bank creates an ecosystem of information, partnerships and product solutions to engage, educate, and empower diverse consumers and communities to build wealth, starting with the Black community as the consumer segment with the largest wealth disparity in the United States.

Leaning into what it means for the Black community, the campaign flipped the narrative from U.S. Bank telling consumers “what access means” to empower the community a chance to express what access means to them, in an authentic way.

The Access Means campaign launched in October 2022 and ran through the end of March 2023 across a fully integrated approach:

Video, Radio Broadcast, OOH, Print, Digital, Social, and via Essence Partnership. With a wide footprint, the agency focused efforts in key markets—Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Charlotte targeting Black millennials (young affluent, mass affluent, young entrepreneurs), who are the most vocal, influential subset that are driving cultural trends, not only within their own community but influencing others.