In today’s hyper-competitive banking landscape, legacy brands can’t rely on name recognition alone. Consumers—especially Gen Z and Millennials—expect digital experiences that are fast, intuitive, and mobile-first. And increasingly, they’re building their own ecosystems of fintech apps and digital wallets to make up for what traditional banks don’t offer.
Ledyard Bank recognized the urgency of this shift. With rising fintech disintermediation and stagnant digital engagement, the bank made a bold move: a top-to-bottom rebrand, a rebuilt website, and the launch of a digital banking sub-brand, Onward.
Here’s how we helped them do it:
- Brand Refresh: We evolved Ledyard’s visual identity, color palette, and tagline to reflect a modern, digital-forward personality—without losing the trust equity of the original brand.
- Website Redesign: The new Ledyard.bank delivers a simplified, customer-first experience aligned with Gen Z expectations. Think streamlined navigation, ADA compliance, and clear CTAs.
- Digital Sub-Brand Launch: We introduced Onward, a sleek new mobile experience built around how younger audiences actually manage money—budgeting, credit tracking, payments, and savings, all in one app.
The campaign concept, “Why Wait to Switch?” tackled the inertia of banking head-on. Our creative reminded users that juggling six different apps isn’t efficient—it’s exhausting. Onward offered an all-in-one solution that finally made switching worth it.
The results?
App downloads exceeded projections by 28% in the first three weeks. Engagement on Meta and OLV outperformed benchmarks. And the new website saw a 42% lift in interaction, proving that digital-first doesn’t mean starting over—it means building forward.
Ledyard didn’t just update their brand. They activated it—for the next generation of banking.
