Important social topics in marketing communication

We followed up last year’s campaign and in July 2019 we created a vertical credit card with the image of a woman. The design by Jan Kallwejt was selected by Internet users. The next step will be the issuing of a debit card featuring a woman.

#DOCENIAJnieoceniaj (#APPRECIATEdonotjudge) was the slogan of a campaign launched by the Bank in February 2019. Its purpose was to draw attention to the importance of positive influence and the role of daily support and appreciation in the pursuit of one’s passion and dreams. The campaign responded to the problem of judgement and negative feedback which prevents people from realizing dreams.

Our television and cinema commercials showed the power of loved ones’ words and gestures. They encouraged viewers to support others in achieving their goals, instead of discouraging them. The protagonists in the commercials were motivated by those closest to them: „We support you very much”, „I believe that you will fulfil your dream”, “I’m sure you will succeed. I will support you.“

The campaign was accompanied by a number of supporting initiatives, including:

• A series of articles and interviews with experts and psychologists about appreciation on the onet.pl online platform. These included a survey and a resulting appreciation report, a series of viral videos, as well as an interactive app.
• Social media activity integrated with the television commercials. In addition, three influencers (Nishka, Superstyler and Weronika Truszczyńska) joined our campaign and shared how important everyday appreciation is for them, coming from both loved ones and strangers.
• Two meetings at the Bank’s Warsaw branch, in the former „Sesame” Department Store. During the first meeting, runner-bloggers (Bartek Olszewski and Kasia Gorlo) explained how being appreciated by people around them affects their passion and motivation. The next meeting was attended by representatives of the Polish Amp Football team (football players after leg amputations), who talked about making one’s dreams a reality despite adversity.
• We also cooperated with the Sukces Pisany Szmianką Foundation. We co-organised meetings and training sessions for entrepreneurial women interested in self-development. These covered appreciation and communication styles as well as building self-confidence. A series of meetings for entrepreneurial women also took place.
• On March 5 we proclaimed the National Day of Appreciation. We organised a number of initiatives to highlight the need for appreciation. Information about the initiatives could be found, i.a. on the Bank’s Facebook and Instagram profiles. We also announced a competition whose winner could support the plans and dreams of one of the Bank’s customers. The author of the most creative idea received a prize of PLN 5,000.

Find out more about appreciation: https://www.doceniajnieoceniaj.pl

Involvement in “The Last Ever Issue” provided a platform for discussions about gender equality and highlighted the problem of the objectification of women. Bank BNP Paribas and its partners contributed to closing the best-known erotic magazine in Poland. The last issue dealt with equal rights and opportunities for both sexes. It was dedicated to, among others, extraordinary women. The last issue of “Your Weekend” contains stories about men and women, told in articles, interviews and columns. The authors included Rikha Sharma Rani (a journalist collaborating i.a. with the New York Times) Maria Rotkiel (therapist and psychologist), Rafał and Tymek Bryndal, Miłosz Brzeziński and Rafał Madajczak.

The layout of the magazine, including sections and headings (such as: Dossier, Positions, Poster or Comics) was preserved, but it was given a completely new meaning. Ewa Kasprzyk, Orina Krajewska and Joanna Jędrzejczyk took part in a unique cover session. By participating in the “The Last Ever Issue” project, we wanted to highlight the important topic of gender equality. The project was initiated by Gazeta.pl and VMLY&R Poland. Bank BNP Paribas, Mastercard and the Sukces Pisany Szminką Foundation were its main partners.

The “The Last Ever Issue” campaign received 5 awards at the Cannes Lions festival – the most prestigious competition in the advertising industry – including the Grand Prix in the Glass and Titanium Lion categories.

Find out more about the project and and see how we changed  the narrative about women.

Rebranding provided an opportunity for us to redefine ourselves as Bank BNP Paribas. On April 8, 2019, the “You are the change, we are the Bank for a changing world” campaign was launched. It established the global BNP Paribas brand as  “The Bank for a changing world”, and introduced new Bank products.

Our priority is to be active and be an agent of change. That is why we have put forward a proposal to our partner NGOs to create new projects in response to social needs.

Our image campaign showed children who are not afraid to ask difficult questions, such as: „Will I find a job in Poland when I grow up?”, Will there be fresh air when I grow up?”, “When I grow up, will there be people pointing fingers at me?”. The protagonists’ observations were intended as a source of inspiration for changes in the viewers’ lives. Above all, they made us realize that we can shape the world which our children will inherit.

Answers to the above questions, as well as suggestions for ensuring that the needs of children are met, can be found at zostanzmiana.pl. It features the ideas of the representatives of various organizations, including: Kosmos dla Dziewczynek Foundation, Nasza Ziemia Foundation, Ocalenie Foundation, Lambda Warsaw Association, Miłość nie Wyklucza Association, Zwolnieni z Teorii Foundation and Łąka Foundation. Internet users could vote for a project of their choice. The winning foundations and associations received PLN 50,000 for the implementation of their ideas, and the remaining organizations – PLN 20,000 each.

Projects launched by NGOs with the help of our grants:

• Kosmos dla Dziewczynek Fundation focused on the development of children’s passions and talents, conducting educational workshops for 750 kids from all voivodeships. Kids were shown effective ways of learning about and appreciating their own strengths and the strengths of others.
• Lambda Warsaw Association and Miłość nie Wyklucza Association initiated the „Be yourself” project to show the positive aspects of diversity and help young people affirm their otherness. A series of meetings throughout Poland, as well as a series of videos and publications tell stories about people who dared to be themselves.
• Ocalenie Foundation focuses on the integration of foreigners in Poland. The project includes a „Course on understanding” – a series of 25 multicultural workshops for children and youth in schools all over Poland. Their aim is to stimulate empathy, sensitivity and openness to other cultures.

• Nasza Ziemia Foundation has planned 100 cleaning events throughout Poland as part of the “World Cleanup” campaign. An information campaign and a series of educational workshops at schools have also been planned.
• Łąka Foundation transforms lawns into bee-friendly flower meadows. The submitted project – “Meadow Cottage’” – involved the creation of an education center where officials, greenery designers, children and youth will be able find out about the role of meadows as well as learn how to create and mow them – for the common good.
• Zwolnieni z Teorii Foundation – the „Exempt from the Theory” project is an initiative that develops students’ competence in management, teamwork and entrepreneurship, with the aim of helping them to implement their own social projects.

The Bank donated PLN 50,000 for the implementation of the first four projects selected by Internet users.
The other two organizations received PLN 20,000 each.

Visit the campaign website and find out more about the projects: https://www.zostanzmiana.pl/

According to the World Health Organization, depression will become the most common health problem in the coming years. It is estimated that this problem affects 4-10% of Poles, and 96% of prevention and treatment initiatives are carried out by NGOs. To raise awareness about this disease, fight taboos and emphasize the important preventative role of sports, we organised the longest charity relay run in Poland: “Relay the Change – let’s fight depression together”.

The race started on June 4 at Kasprowy Wierch and ended 4 days later on the Hel Peninsula. The ambassador of the event was the world record holder in long distance running, Patrycja Bereznowska, accompanied by 16 popular athletes, including thriatlonist Jarosław Górski. Anyone could join the run at one of over 100 points on its route, and run a distance of 5 or 10 kilometers. The runners’ efforts were broadcast live on social media. Income from the run was donated to the Aktywnie Przeciwko Depresji Association.

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During the summer, passengers of PKP Intercity trains on the most popular summer routes were invited to the world of science. They could visit a special car, designed like a branch of Bank BNP Paribas. Workshops, scientific demonstrations and language lessons were prepared for both young and older travellers by our partners: Copernicus Science Center, the Łąka Foundation, the Ocalenie Foundation and the Kosmos dla Dziewczynek Foundation.

Find out more about the project: https://pociagdozmian.pl/

In April 2019, our internal „Bank of Green Changes” program was launched. It aggregates all of the Bank’s pro-ecological initiatives and includes an educational campaign for employees. Their remarkable commitment motivated us to raise the issue of climate in the „Climate change costs” campaign, which was launched 6 months later.

The first phase of the campaign focused on education about the causes of climate change and its costs, such as rising temperature, weather anomalies (hurricanes, hailstorms and violent rainfall), as well as prolonged and repeated droughts. These will cause issues with the availability of food and rising food prices. We explained the above in videos on a dedicated website: www.zieleniak2040.pl. It was developed in cooperation with our partner, Carrefour.

In the second part of the campaign, we encouraged people to join in the creation of „Great oxygen gardens,” oxygen tree plantations which reduce the negative effects of increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

We pledged to plant one oxygen tree – “Oxytree” (which produces up to 10 times more oxygen than other deciduous trees) – for each new account or cash loan at our Bank. Thanks to the commitment of our customers we will plant 50,000 Oxytrees in spring 2020.

The campaign was also addressed to our employees. We will not only plant a tree for every account or loan they set up, we also provided them with anti-smog masks and air-cleaning potted plants.

Our intranet contains a site with tips on how to be eco-friendly, as well as a tree counter, showing how many Oxytrees we will plant thanks to their support. We also included the Bank’s carbon footprint counter.

Furthermore, the Bank established cooperation with the newonce.media platform, inspiring and supporting the editors of the newonce.paper magazine in the transition to eco-paper. Together with newonce.radio, the KLIMAT broadcast was created. It focuses on thet eco-initiatives of invited guests, and discusses issues related to climate change, ways of protecting the natural environment, responsible consumption and travel. The guests of the broadcast included: Michał Piróg, Paulina Górska, Sebastian Kulis. The music played during the broadcast was created by artists who are involved in environmental campaigns – from Paul McCartney, through Radiohead, to Billie Eilish.

Find out more about the campaign i and listen to podcasts at: https://www.newonce.radio/klimat

We talked to students about climate change and about the need to introduce eco-improvements in everyday life. We organised a series of events at 10 universities in 8 cities, during which we presented, i.a. our initiatives for the environment and climate. Students who visited the green zone were able to learn about our pro-ecological projects and about the internship offer of the Bank. They also received practical tips for jobseekers.

The zones were built from ecological materials and filled with greenery. They were plastic-free and waste was segregated. In the cafe, visitors could squeeze out a personally composed juice using an energy bike, there was also a relaxation area with an eco-library.

We organize inspirational meetings with interesting personalities. The name of the initiative is BNP Paribas Talks and events take place in Bank branches all over Poland. In 2019, the topics were very diverse – from literature, through travel, ecology, sport to personal development. The common denominator was providing inspiration for changes and reaching one’s goals.

So far, our guest included: Marek Kamiński – extreme traveler and philosopher, Orina Krajewska – actress and author of „Holistic Health Paths”, Karolina Cwalina – coach and author of books on self-improvement, Renata Gut  – talent management expert, and Joanna Kuciel –Frydryszak – journalist and reporter.

One of the aims of the meetings is to support the Bank’s campaigns. A series of 7 events connected to the Bank
of Green Changes campaign took place in Gdynia, Giżycko, Poznań, Wrocław, Częstochowa, Warsaw and Puławy. The invited guest was ecologist Katarzyna Wągrowska, author of the book “Zero Waste Life. Live without trash and live better” and the blog ograniczamsie.com, educator and zero-waste activist. Together, we showed participants how to live without waste but with care for our planet.

As part of the „Appreciate, Do Not Judge” campaign, Ewa Wilmanowicz – an inspirational speaker – instructed guests on how to prevent procrastination, how not to postpone life.

As a strategic partner of the “Noble Gift” initiative, we help not only by encouraging our employees to volunteer, but also by promoting the idea of responsible aid and inspiring our clients to join in. In 2019, we continued the partnership under the slogan „The most important gifts are those that you don’t unpack”. Communication channels included the www.pomaganiejestfajne.pl website and a promotional campaign online and in cinemas. Bank BNP Paribas was also a partner of the „Weekend of Miracles”, broadcast by TVN television channel. On December 7, the progress of “Noble Gift” volunteers who were preparing and delivering gifts to families in need could be followed live on television.

Our partnership with the “Noble Gift” initiative includes a commitment to transfer our own funds to the “Noble Gift”
for each non-cash payment (mobile and online) made by our clients. From November 2018 to November 2019,
we donated PLN 2,100,000. At the end of 2019, we also enabled our clients to make donations directly from
the initiative’s website.