// Financial Services / Brand Identity + Campaign

Say YES! With No Stress

First Community Credit Union needed a complete brand foundation and a campaign that could compete with bigger banks in southern Wisconsin. I built the brand from the ground up: purpose, values, voice, visual identity, and messaging. Then I put it to work with the "Say YES! With No Stress" campaign across social, digital, and two Spotify radio spots.

First Community Credit Union 'Say YES! With No Stress' social campaign grid

The Challenge

Competing with national banks on a local budget

FCCU operates in Beloit, Janesville, and Rockford, competing against national banks with significantly larger marketing budgets. They didn't just need a campaign. They needed a brand identity that could communicate what actually makes a credit union different without falling into the generic "we care about you" messaging that every community financial institution defaults to.

That meant starting at the foundation: defining who they are, what they stand for, how they sound, and how they show up visually before a single ad could be written.

My Role

Brand foundation through production

I built the brand identity system first: brand purpose, mission and vision statements, core values, character words, brand personality and voice guidelines, key messages, color palette rationale, typography direction, iconography style, and photography guidelines. All captured in a brand style guide that gives FCCU a foundation they can build on for years.

Then I developed the campaign strategy to activate it. The "Say YES! With No Stress" concept became the throughline for everything: Google Ads, social media, and two Spotify radio spots that I wrote, directed, and produced from script through final audio mix.

Brand Purpose + Values Mission + Vision Voice + Personality Brand Style Guide Campaign Concept Google Ads Search Ads Strategy Social Media Radio Spots (2)
Creative Director: Greg Akouris Art Director: Sarah Jean Ferraris Audio Engineer: Steve Knapp Audio Producer: Matthew Nikkila All creative assets used with permission of First Community Credit Union and Impact Managed Marketing

Brand Foundation

Five values. Five character words.

The brand voice centers on five core values: Community First, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, People Over Profits, Empowering Support, and Inclusive Opportunities. The character words are Genuine, Invested, Welcoming, Reliable, and Collaborative.

First Community Credit Union brand style guide page 1: logos, brand purpose, mission, vision, icons, typography, and character words

Brand style guide, page 1: identity system, purpose, values, and voice

First Community Credit Union brand style guide page 2: brand values, color palette, photography style, brand personality, key messages, and patterns

Brand style guide, page 2: values, color palette, photography, personality, and messaging

The Work

Real benefits, less stress

The "Say YES!" campaign translates those values into specific, tangible benefits that compete directly with bank offerings: early pay (2 days before banks), low overdraft fees ($10 vs. $35+), fee waivers, and cell phone protection. Each social post and ad ties a real financial benefit to the emotional promise of less stress.

The two Spotify radio spots were a highlight of the project. I wrote both scripts, directed the voice talent, and managed production through final mix.

First Community Credit Union 'Above and Beyond' animated social post

"Above and Beyond" animated social spot

First Community Credit Union Google Ads copy structure showing ad groups and headlines

Google Ads copy: 4 ad groups, 15 headlines + 4 descriptions each

First Community Credit Union search ads strategy document

Search Ads strategy and keyword mapping

Radio

Two Spotify spots from script to final mix

I wrote, directed, and produced both 30-second radio spots. "Life of YES" sells the emotional upside of switching to FCCU. "Nothing to Discuss" dramatizes a couple realizing their credit union already solved the problems they were about to argue about.

Spotify Ad
Life of YES
First Community Credit Union
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0:30
Spotify Ad
Nothing to Discuss
First Community Credit Union
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0:30

Impact

A brand built to last, a campaign built to compete

FCCU now has a complete brand identity system and a campaign that puts it to work. The brand style guide gives them a foundation for every future touchpoint, while the "Say YES!" campaign is already running across digital, social, and audio in their three-market footprint.

Full brand identity

Purpose, values, voice, visual guidelines, and messaging captured in a brand style guide

"Say YES!" campaign

Running across digital, social, and audio

2 radio spots

Wrote, directed, and produced for Spotify

Google Ads structure

4 ad groups, 15 headlines + 4 descriptions each, driving local search

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