TSB refreshes brand platform via YS

YS and TSB have launched an end-to-end brand evolution, built around the bank’s reputation for putting people first. This follows a competitive pitch win in late 2025.

‘It’s how we money’ shows that TSB understands the way people experience money, by helping make everyday banking, saving and home buying easier. It also reflects TSB’s ambition to become New Zealand’s most loved challenger bank by putting the human side of money at the centre of every customer interaction.

“We’ve started with a very relatable truth for Kiwis: living payday to payday can be an emotional rollercoaster,” says YS chief creative officer Corey Chalmers.

“And the platform extends well beyond advertising, influencing everything from TSB’s visual identity to improved digital and in-branch experiences, product campaigns, deposit slips, sustainability reports, PowerPoint templates and more. This is exactly the kind of work we love doing at YS, and we’re super proud to share it with New Zealanders.”

Important milestone

TSB general manager product and marketing Nick Herbert says the work marks an important milestone in the bank’s evolution.

“This is the most significant expression of TSB’s brand evolution to date. Building on our 175th birthday celebrations, the campaign brings together and elevates the brand elements progressively developed over the past year into a broader expression of TSB.”

The campaign is the latest step in TSB’s strategy to grow its awareness and consideration nationally while staying true to what has always set the bank apart.

Shared ambition

TSB head of brand and marketing Vesna Nixon says the work reflects a shared ambition between client and agency.

“When we appointed YS, we felt they understood who we were and where we were heading,” says Nixon. “Over the past year, we’ve focused on strengthening our brand messaging, helping more New Zealanders discover what makes TSB different and supporting customer growth. It feels Kiwi, relatable and refreshingly human. Most importantly, it feels like TSB.”

For YS, the opportunity was about redefining how a bank could show up in people’s lives, says chief strategy officer Sue Kipling.

“TSB has deep roots in Taranaki, but to grow nationally and connect with younger Kiwis, we needed to shake off the typical bank image. Research showed that most bank advertising feels staged and focused on products rather than people. But life isn’t a straight line, and money rarely behaves. People wanted a bank that understood that reality. That insight became ‘It’s how we money’ – a modern, honest expression of the human side of money.”

Credits

Client: TSB

• General manager, product and marketing: Nick Herbert
• Head of brand & marketing: Vesna Nixon
• Senior marketing manager: Belinda Pool
• Senior brand & campaigns lead: Chelsea Hudson

Agency: YS

• Chief creative officer: Corey Chalmers
• Executive creative director: Scott Maddox
• Creative director: Julie Spedding
• Chief strategy officer: Sue Kipling
• Strategist: Lydia Sleeman-Bailey
• Client service director: Sophie Radford
• Senior account director: Kylie Lander
• Account executive: Lily Delaney-Hill
• Senior designers: Ryan Overeem, Melanie Fyer, Meagan Bach
• Head of digital production: Todd Wright
• Agency producer: Liz Rosby

Production company: GoodOil

• Director: Dave Wood
• Producer: Lee Thomson
• Audio post production: Shane Taipairi, Franklin Road
• Music composition: Pete Van Der Fluit, Liquid Studios
• Photographer: Troy Goodall, Match Artists
• Producer: Fern Holloway, Match Artists

Media: MBM