Nationwide Student: fuelling the first taste of independence

Let’s be honest. Opening a bank account is probably one the most boring aspects of starting university. We wanted to get new students to sign up for Nationwide’s Flex Student account, but knew any communications we deployed would be competing with a myriad other messages vying for their attention. ​

We realised that university is often young people’s first taste of independence, and that food is a huge, and fun, part of that newfound autonomy. So Nationwide embarked on a partnership with Just Eat to fuel that independence, and we mapped the short but momentous journey students made from A-Level results day, through their ‘last summer’ of school, and into the first weeks of university life. ​ We tapped into their trusted circles of influence – parents and peers – along the way, and once at university, we opened the doors to NationFried: a chicken shop takeover hosted by social media sensations GK Barry and Harry Pinero. ​ The campaign broke our records, achieving 39,000 student account openings (more than double the previous period) and over 30% market share.