NatWest Partners With ITV To Champion Small Businesses

The partnership celebrates small and medium sized enterprises across Britain in a new campaign by Pablo

By Creative Salon

25 October 2021

NatWest and ITV Backing Business have come together in a powerful partnership to help support and champion small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Britain.

The campaign, created by Pablo, showcases three SMEs. They each tell the country about their companies, and what drives them. The twist? They are armed with an intern for the day - ITV’s much-loved talent, Alison Hammond.

The UK has more than 5.7 million SMEs, which together generate almost half of the country’s business revenue. And NatWest and ITV wanted to do something meaningful to give these businesses a platform and support SMEs everywhere in the wake of the pandemic.

Through a series of mini-documentaries titled ‘The Intern', the campaign sees Alison Hammond visit three businesses that bank with NatWest. These include Fiddlers Crisps, a sustainable farm and factory in Lancashire, Honister Slate Mine in the Lake District, and finally Miss Macaroon, a macaroon bakery in Birmingham that employs young adults who need help getting into work.

Alison learns the ropes, finding out what makes the place, and its founders tick; discovering elements of NatWest’s role and support in their success. And of course, causing a bit of well-meaning mayhem along the way.

ITV has ring-fenced funding to give new or lapsed TV brands the opportunity to try TV advertising and help grow their business. NatWest is also offering support through the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme, which offers advice on growing a business, alongside wider support and funding to help SMEs unlock their potential. In its flagship report, A Springboard to Recovery, NatWest found the UK’s 1.4 million SMEs represent a powerful engine of prosperity with the potential to deliver as much as £140 billion and 3.2 million jobs to the UK economy by 2030.

The first in the set of the three mini-documentaries airs this week, during the debut of ITV’s latest drama ‘The Long Call’, with the final two films airing later in October and November. The campaign will be supported by OOH, radio, social and digital creative. Media has been planned and booked with Initiative and the supporting creative for social and digital made by Vayner Media.

Tim Snape, executive creative director at Pablo said: “It’s been a pleasure to partner with NatWest and ITV to delve into the stories of Britain’s brilliant small businesses and it’s a privilege to tell these incredible stories. We always had high hopes for the project, but Alison Hammond really helped to build warm relationships with everyone within each business, allowing us to capture something with deeper insight and more emotion than we expected.”

Margaret Jobling, NatWest group chief marketing officer, added: “We’re incredibly excited to join forces with ITV to champion businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. Our experience as the UK’s biggest business bank, together with ITV’s extensive regional voice, means we’re well placed to showcase the hard work and determination it takes to run and grow a business.

“We can’t wait for everyone to see the series and help businesses to take advantage of the offer of discounted TV advertising, alongside the invaluable coaching and mentoring we are offering through the NatWest Accelerator programme. Britain’s SMEs form the lifeblood of the local communities they serve, and Alison Hammond, a well-loved and recognisable face on British screens, is the perfect person to help us bring their inspiring stories to life.”

Mark Trinder, director of commercial sales and partnerships, ITV said: "Our work with NatWest on the Backing Business campaign has had a huge impact over the last year in supporting small businesses through the power of TV advertising. This latest campaign highlights the importance of these businesses to the wider economy in a warm and lighthearted way and I'm delighted that, with NatWest, we're showcasing them to viewers."

Credits

Agency - Pablo

Executive Creative Director: Tim Snape

Creative Directors: Rupert Jordan & Phil Clarke and Paddy Fraser

Partner & Head of Planning: Mark Sng

Founding Partner: Gareth Mercer

Joint-Managing Director: Hannah Penn

Business Director: Piers Raffo

Senior Account Manager: Louis Wood

Account Manager: Isobel Kai

Project Manager: Kelly Watts

Head of TV: Tom Moxham

TV Producer: Megan Sutton

Assistant Producer: Kris Davies

Production Company - Pablito

Executive Producer: Peter Waite

Director: Caswell Coggins 1st AD: Matt Lawson DOP: Chris Fergusson Photographer: Dario Mitidiero Post Production Company - Coffee and TV Grade: Simona Cristea Music: Felt Music Composer: Matthew Nicholson Sound: Fitzrovia Post

NatWest Group

Chief Marketing Officer: Margaret Jobling

Marketing Director: Jane Adley

Head of Advertising & Content: Petra Cameron

Head of Marketing: Nigel Smith

Marketing Lead: James Wallis

Advertising Lead: Anna Vaughan

Marketing Manager: Allan Watson

Marketing Manager: Rebecca Emmerson

ITV

Director of Client Strategy and Planning: Kate Waters

Director of Commercial Sales and Partnerships: Mark Trinder