Allen Forbes

Vancity had long been seen as a community-first institution—but not necessarily as a go-to for mortgages, retirement, or financial planning. Their brand was built on doing good, but the messaging didn’t yet reflect their full value as a serious financial partner. They needed a narrative that merged ethics with financial empowerment.

Solution

We created “Make Good Money,” a rebrand that reframed the act of banking itself. The campaign challenged the traditional binary—doing well financially vs. doing good in the world—and positioned Vancity as the alternative to the Big Five banks. The idea was simple but powerful: your money can do both.

Campaign

This brand overhaul extended across all customer touchpoints. From TV to in-branch collateral, social media to stakeholder comms, every expression of the campaign carried the same idea: values-based banking is a competitive advantage. Internal engagement was just as important, with employees empowered to live the brand daily.

Impact

• Strengthened Vancity’s reputation as a purpose-driven financial leader

• Unified external brand and internal culture under one platform

• Created a long-term, ownable brand idea that continues to evolve

• Positioned Vancity as a true challenger to traditional financial institutions

Employee Stories. Beyond a pay check, Vancity offers employees meaning. They work hard at not just talking about values, but hiring people who live and breath what the company believes in. A company starts with the people, and Vancity makes sure they choose and nurture theirs wisely. Through extensive interviewing, we found six outstanding representations of Vancity’s truly remarkable company culture. It just might be the secret to their success.

Associate Creative Direction/Copywriting: Allen Forbes, Art Direction: Tana Kosiyabong, David Harrison, Graeme Jack, Creative Direction: Liam Greenlaw