Being nice about BNZ

I was going to share a new favourite site of the week, but I like it heaps and actually, want to be self fish and keep it to myself. Sorry. No site for you guys. Instead, I am going be nice about BNZ. Shock. Horror.

So, I have talked about BNZ linking to OTHER BANKS in their own online advertising, crazy expandable banners on Stuff, unfortunate coincides of their video ads showing against Swine Flu articles (has anyone heard of negative keywords?), their revised and much better business partners ad, and yet another expandable banner which confused me.

Lets be fair, I haven't had a lot of positive things to say. However, today, I take a lot of it back.

I noticed this paste up yesterday, and had to take a pic:

This little piggy has taken up the entire Phantom board. The whole thing. I like it, you can't not notice it. It ties in brilliantly with the television campaign (as much as I am not a fan of it) and works in this medium.

So this is where I take a lot of my negative comments back.

The one thing I have not acknowledged through any of my BNZ posts is that at least the client is willing to try different things. As with most agencies, we spend a lot of time coming up with creative ideas and options for clients which, for one reason or another, are not seen through to completion. It seems to me (and I may be wrong) that BNZ seem to be a little more courageous than some other banks out there for trying different things, at least giving them a shot (you don't see too many banks doing pasteups...) A lot of that will be down to the agency and a team that challenge their client to push boundaries.

As we all know last week Sugar & Spark have taken BNZ off Y&R. Sucks to be Y&R, but best of luck for Sugar & Spark. I have no doubt that you guys will continue to push the boundaries, and I look forward to what comes next (great blog fodder...)