Wyoming and the Bank

Marketing & Brand Creative Director - Creative Direction and Strategy

In 2018 Bank of the West made a major brand pivot, leaning aggressively into being a legitimate “green” bank. This included restricting the financing of coal-fired power generation plants, coal-fired power plant projects, and coal-fired power plants that are not actively involved in the transition to sustainable energy production.

The Bank ran a multi-channel, footprint-wide campaign highlighting the bank’s commitment to the environment, specifically stopping financing the advancement of the coal industry. Much of Wyoming’s economy revolves around the coal industry. Needless to say, this did not sit well in the heart of the coal country. There were immediate resignations from branch staff in Wyoming, tweets by the state senator, the Wyoming governor sending statements condemning the Banks action, and the state Senator publicly stating “The Bank of the West has said they will no longer fund coal, oil, and natural gas projects – key components to the Wyoming economy and Wyoming way of life,” he said. “Well, under my watch, Wyoming investment dollars will not be placed with Bank of the West.”

Needless to say, fast action was required during this contentiously politicized environment. Working cross-functionally, we quickly hosted town halls for employees with EMC members; had the EMC visit branches in Wyoming; consulted crisis firm Abernathy, and deployed new messaging via the website, OOH, and flyers addressing these very sensitive issues to the public.

Below are pieces I had the pleasure to work on as part of this cross-functional team.

Bank of the West is part of the U.S. arm of BNP Paribas, (www.bnpparibas.com). BNP Paribas is a global leader in financial services and is one of the six highest-rated banks, present in more than 70 countries, BNP Paribas has a significant presence in the United States and Europe and strong positions in Asia and emerging markets.