Fifth Third Bank / Checking Account Growth Campaign

3 test DMAs vs 3 control DMAs. 80–100 wrapped delivery trucks per market, plus OOH, geo-fenced social, and paid search. Objective: Drive checking account growth and achieve break-even ROMI within 12 months.

Campaign Value Proposition

+96%

Branded checking search clicks (Test vs Control)

+8%

Household production lift

6,802

Incremental checking households (12 months)

<12mo

Break-even ROMI achieved

Goals

Fifth Third Bank's objective was to drive checking account growth in lower-branch-presence growth DMAs while achieving a positive ROMI within 12 months. The specific target: an 8% incremental household-production lift (Test vs Control) in order to reach break-even ROMI before the campaign anniversary.

The bank selected truck advertising as the primary vehicle because of its ability to reach audiences at scale, drive brand awareness in commute corridors, and complement their digital and search strategies.

Challenges

Financial services advertising in highly competitive markets faces several headwinds: cluttered search environments, high digital costs per acquisition, and saturation in traditional media. Additionally, Fifth Third needed to prove that OOH could drive not just awareness, but measurable downstream conversions in household account production.

The bank also needed to validate performance across multiple markets in a controlled test-vs-control framework, requiring precise geographic targeting, consistent creative deployment, and independent third-party measurement to satisfy internal stakeholders.

Solutions

Advertising Wheels deployed a multi-channel strategy centered on wrapped truck advertising, layered with supporting tactics:

80–100 four-sided HD-wrapped delivery trucks per test market, routed through commute corridors and retail corridors
Supporting OOH at campaign launch (posters, billboards, spectacular wallscapes) in test markets
Geo-fenced social and paid search campaigns synchronized with truck routing for frequency and reinforcement
Creative messaging: "Introducing Fifth Third Free Checking" and "Working hard to make [DMA] a Fifth Third Better"

Results

The 12-month test yielded results that exceeded initial projections:

Branded checking search-keyword clicks: +96% (Test vs Control, pre/post analysis)
Household production lift: +4.2% incremental production-rate spread ≈ 8% household-production lift (achieved goal)
Incremental households: 6,802 cumulative incremental checking households over 12 months
Financial outcome: Better-than-break-even ROMI achieved before 12 months (halo effects not included in calculation)

Client Review

"Truck advertising has grown into a key portion of our brand marketing budget, yielding record brand awareness and household production growth."

Nick Ferrugia
Director, Brand & Performance Marketing
Fifth Third Bank

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