When yes makes all the difference

Turning mortgage nerves into confidence with Danske Bank

THE HEADSCRATCHER

For Danske Bank, one of Northern Ireland’s leading local banks, mortgages weren’t just a product; they were a business priority. With ambitious targets for new mortgage openings, success meant growth, market leadership and profitability.

The timing couldn’t have been more critical. The Northern Ireland economy was picking up, jobs were returning, and consumer confidence was rising. Moving house was finally back on the cards for many.

But instead of excitement, the mortgage process brought fear. The thought of applying left people uncertain, insecure and impatient. A single rejection could feel like the end of their dream.

Danske had the tools and the track record — nine out of ten applications were approved, supported by digital journeys and human advice. The challenge was to cut through consumer anxiety and turn Danske’s strength into the confidence people needed to apply

Exceeded Danske’s ambitious target for new mortgage openings

Delivered a striking, humour-led campaign across OOH, radio, digital and social

Turned fear of rejection into confidence and helped more people get moving

Trying to out-shout competitors with deals and interest rates wasn’t going to work. Our audience research showed us how irrational the fear of rejection could be: even the thought of a “no” felt catastrophic. Any campaign needed to offer them reassurance.

That made Danske’s reality all the more powerful. Nine out of ten applications were approved. But facts weren’t enough either; we needed something customers could feel to get them moving again.

Our strategy to cut through the anxiety? Humour.

We built a creative platform that paired familiar, funny situations with a simple truth. From the new owner obsessed with garden gnomes to the partner with questionable taste in décor, our playful campaign images disarmed defences. Opening the door for a simple truth: Danske’s astonishing approval rate.

We showed up where nerves were highest: on the commute past estate agents, in the car listening to the radio and online when searches for mortgages began. OOH and radio gave us scale, while targeted social and digital put practical tools like mortgage calculators and 10-minute Decisions in Principle at people’s fingertips.

The result was a campaign that shifted focus from fear to confidence, helping anxious home-movers believe a mortgage with Danske was within their reach.

What could have been another dry mortgage push became a campaign that made people smile. And apply.

Danske exceeded its ambitious targets for new mortgages, proving that the campaign’s humour and simplicity stood out across OOH, radio, digital and social. It cut through a cluttered market with a message people actually wanted to hear: most applicants get a yes.

Most importantly, the work gave anxious home-movers new confidence to take the first step and helped Danske Bank dominate the mortgage conversation as demand returned.