Santander launches new Ant and Dec ad campaign

Santander has deployed Ant and Dec for a new campaign in the UK focused on first-time buyers.

“Moving Starts Here” is an integrated campaign which aims to show how Santander can help more people achieve homeownership. It is the first activation in the UK of Santander’s new brand positioning, “It Starts Here”.

The first ad for the campaign features the duo sitting in a moving van, discussing one of Santander’s offers. The initial phase of the campaign also sees outdoor activations, prominently featuring the moving van painted in the brand’s signature red, highlighting Santander’s suite of support offerings for the first-time buyer cohort.

Santander worked with Publicis Groupe on the campaign, using its all-in-one Publicis Flame offering combining creative, media, production and data services.

The UK campaign comes after the bank launched a new global brand positioning called “Imperfect Beginnings”. The idea of the platform is to challenge the idea that people need to be perfectly prepared for taking an action, encouraging them to start small.

Content will focus on real-life scenarios such as entering the workforce, launching a business or making financial commitments. As well as multi-channel advertising, it will also outdoor activatoins and collaborations with content creators.

The new ad campaign follows the end of the Bank of Antandec concept in 2025.

Nathalie Picquot, global head of Corporate Marketing, Brand Experience and Digital Engagement at Santander, said: “Imperfect Beginnings brings our positioning ‘It starts here’ to life in a way that is human, relatable and culturally relevant in all our geographies. It is designed to encourage people to make decisions (financial and non-financial) and take the first step, even when the moment feels uncertain or imperfect.”