Project: To Dyari, a webseries for Alpha Bank
In December 2010 we launched To Dyari (The Studio - in Greek it also means "the duo"), one of our most ambitious projects ever since I joined Tribal DDB. A six episode webseries which tackles the scepticism of using Web Banking.
On contrary to what many think, security is hardly the issue which keeps people from using the actual application and performing day to day tasks. The greatest obstacle is the lack of knowledge and experience of using any online application, let alone an application which handles their life's savings... The fear of making a mistake or not being able to communicate with a person, drives people to the nearest bank outlet. Something which isn't always the optimal solution...
The Idea
The target group was quite specific: All registered users of Alpha Bank's e-Services which have yet to engage with it. Which in plain english means, "We need to get all our clients who have signeed up for Web Banking, to use the application".
We came up with the idea to create two oppposite characters which would represent two different groups of people. On one hand we had the group who uses Web Banking and enjoys the comfort of such experiences, and on the other the group that doesn't. Quite simple and straight forward. But that wasn't enough. We wanted to give the visitors the ability to explore both situations were either character/group would take the lead. So, every episode has a critical point in the timeline, where the user gets to choose how the story will continue...
The characters
In collaboration with DDB Athens, we created two characters who live under the same roof, but are totally different. Nikos is a very strict, self aware Dentist, who likes to keep everything in order. As with most of his lifes' actions he likes to be in control of everything himself, which lead him to use Web Banking. On the other hand, his brother Tolis, is a very liberal, freeform spirit. Artisitc by nature (he claims to be an artist) who does not conform to day to day obligations... which to his delight, Nikos takes care of.
The plot
Through various situations, we explore the uses and the practicailty of Web Banking. Each episode tackles a specific task, from Bank Transfers (Pay the rent, Travel booking), Credit Card payments, Utility bills, up to more simple stuff like the e-Pass top-up. Tolis is always the highlight of the episode due to his humorous and liberal nature. He can never take anything too seriously which leads to ridiculous circumstances. Users are encouraged to choose how the story will unfold by selecting which character should execute the given task.
The assets
We created a site (www.todyari.gr) which would work as a hub where we would collect all the various assets from services around the internet. Our main Service was Youtube, for all our video hosting needs. Flickr was selected as the photo hosting service. And of course Facebook would be our main campain deployment vessel.
The making
Like most live film projects, the 3 day fliming process was a blast. We managed to capture hundreds of Gb's worth of behind the scenes footage and photographs. For the most part, the behind the scenes content if mostly fun, as always.
The results
The Youtube channel has accumulated over 150.000 views and our Facebook Page so far has garnered over 15.000 fans. Overall, the Web Banking Service has seen a substantial increase in usage, which can be directly linked to the campaign. Unfortunately no specific numbers can be released as of this writing.
Conclusion
While people are very sceptic in engaging with Banks in general (probably the hardest brands you can get people to interact with), we've seen that given the right circumstances, people are willing to open up to new experiences and enjoy a few moments which will allow them to come closer...
Watch all the episodes on To Dyari's channels on Youtube
