Among Twin Cities-based big companies, it’s Target that’s known for their flashy, chic branding and commercials. But, perhaps unexpectedly, a financial institution wants to give them a run for their money: On Monday, TCF Bank officially launched its rebrand hoping to modernize its look and unify its services.
 
The company is sporting a new logo and slick ads with the slogan “In rhythm with” followed by a word or phrase meant to contextualize TCF’s role at that moment and in the person’s life.
 
Call it TCF’s new groove. Or rhythm, as it were.
 
The slogan is meant to be flexible, responding to location, time of day, and audience. So TCF’s billboards near a Dunkin Donuts might say, “In rhythm with your morning coffee stop,” while another near a restaurant might say, “In rhythm with your night out” around dinnertime.
 
In one TV ad, a young couple in a much-too-small apartment can’t seem to get out of each other’s way, all while their energetic dog snags their breakfast. As they admire a roomier house the viewers think they purchased, another couple pulls up and walks in with a voice saying, “No matter if you’re buying a new house or saving for one, TCF is in rhythm with your next move” before telling people to come in for a low-rate mortgage.
 
But the rebrand is more than just a look, according to Geoff Thomas, managing director of customer segments and alternative channels at TCF. He believes it’s a refresh of the bank’s entire platform “The brand is more than the logo and colors and ads,” he said. “Before creative work, we had to look at the services we off and how they could be re-engineered.”
 
Efforts to improve the company began several years ago when it elicited advice from a website called MakeTCFBetter.com and conducting focus groups. In 2013, TCF named Periscope their agency of record to provide creative muscle.
 
“We want people to recognize that this is not the old TCF, but a new TCF that’s we’re changing up,” said Periscope creative director Chris Wareham. “We’re not just saying things, but also acting on them.”
 
To do that, TCF revamped its website, making it more responsive to various screen sizes, and improved online banking. Customers looking for a flashier debit card or who just need a replacement will be able to get them quicker now too: Every branch has the ability to produce customized, permanent debit cards on the spot.
 
Perhaps as important as the retail-banking portion was the unification of all of TCF’s segments under one branding regime. Several of its product lines and lending options weren’t even sold under the TCF name. With the refresh will come a better understanding of everything the bank does, Thomas said.
 
“People have no idea how diverse TCF is in the products and services they offer, because they’re specializded segments.”
 
Much of the ad campaign and all of the online and in-branch improvements have already been implemented, but Thomas said to expect more experiential things and other unannounced happenings later this summer.
 
“We like to think we have a few surprises left up our sleeve.”