A traditional bank, the hottest gaming title of the year, and a globally unique card that disappeared on average every 4.6 seconds each weekday. This is how we transformed Česká spořitelna into a bank for young people.
How to bring a traditional bank closer to the world of young gamers? And at the same time, get closer to a brand with a young user base that dominates modernity and differentiation indices?
The goal was clear: to be an attractive bank for young people. For a traditional institution with decades of history, this was a huge challenge. Challenge accepted!
We found the answer in the 15th century and in the hottest gaming title of the year. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II from Warhorse Studios was precisely the connection we were looking for. And it worked. We took it "to the next level" with a trio of strong moves:
Global Unique: We created limited edition payment cards that light up with every payment. A technology that nobody else on Earth had at the time (we can't vouch for space).
Heroic Connection: The cards featured designs from KCD II, and we invited Henry, the game's main hero, into our hero spot.
Masterful Timing: We launched the campaign precisely on the game's release day. This allowed us to ride the enormous wave of interest and "hype" surrounding the title.
There were only 2,000 cards, so we devised a fair "drop" mechanism: every weekday in February at 8:00 PM, 100 cards were released in the George mobile application.
The hunt for the glowing treasure could begin. We built the entire communication on three simple pillars: the card glows, it features Henry, and it's limited edition. It spread across all channels – from a hero spot in Unreal Engine 5 on YouTube and Twitch, through authentic content from influencers (Xnapy, Natyla, Gejmr) on social media, to unconventional OOH (3D bigboard, glowing CLV in the metro, tunnel wraps). Every detail was tailored to fit the gaming world.
The campaign literally lit up the banking sector. The "different" parameter for our key target group aged 18 to 24 soared to a historically highest index of 142 (from 116) in the 10th week of the campaign, representing a stunning increase of 26 points. This monumental leap catapulted Česká spořitelna, at least for a while, to the number one position in the banking sector in terms of distinctiveness.
And the numbers? They speak for themselves. On average, each daily batch of cards disappeared in just 4.6 seconds. Instead of the expected 200 applications per day, over 6,000 came in. A third of non-clients explicitly stated they would be willing to open an account with us just for this card. Earned media value reached 15.7 million CZK just during the campaign period and 50 million CZK for the entire collaboration. These results clearly demonstrate the power of authentic communication.
Three things were behind the success: the right partner (KCD II from a leading Czech studio), a globally unique product (a glowing limited edition card), and perfect timing. Together, they launched something that transcended the boundaries of ordinary marketing activity and proved that even a traditional bank can play a leading role in the league of modern brands.
