BankDirect was a direct banking division of ASB Bank in New Zealand, established in 1997 as the country’s first branchless banking brand. It operated as a sub-brand of ASB, offering banking services exclusively through the internet and contact centre channels without physical branches.[1]
Design and History
BankDirect launched in October 1997, positioned as the “digital bank of the future” at a time when internet and telephone banking were still emerging in New Zealand.[1][2] The brand was created to serve customers who preferred banking by phone or internet and wanted cost advantages over traditional branch-based banking.[2]
The brand’s early advertising campaign featured Roland Gift, lead singer of the Fine Young Cannibals, as the “face” of BankDirect. The campaign relied on heavy visual effects to create a futuristic feel, with Gift’s mouth as the only moving element in a campaign that reminded consumers BankDirect was a bank with no branches.[3][4]
In 2003, BankDirect underwent its first brand transformation in almost a decade, changing its “face” to make banking a smaller part of customers’ lives. The new campaign, developed with advertising agency Big Communications, was described as “more personable yet still direct” compared to the original futuristic approach.[3][5] Big Communications had been appointed earlier that year to handle the bank’s brand, above-the-line and direct marketing business.[6]
In 2017, ASB announced it was removing the BankDirect brand, products and services, transitioning all customers to equivalent ASB products. ASB cited its own technology and innovative self-service options as having surpassed what BankDirect offered.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
While the specific visual design of the BankDirect logo is not documented in available sources, the brand’s identity was built around the concept of direct, branchless banking. The name itself communicated the core value proposition: customers could bank directly through technology without visiting a physical branch. The brand’s positioning as the “digital bank of the future” informed its early advertising, which used heavy visual effects to create a futuristic feel.[1][3]
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