Santander Empowers 1st Time Buyers With Ant and Dec

'Moving Starts Here' is its debut work with Publicis Flame, featuring Saatchi & Saatchi

By Creative Salon

30 April 2026

At a time when many aspiring buyers believe it is harder than ever to get on the property ladder, Santander has launched Moving Starts Here, a new integrated campaign that spotlights the ways Santander are making the long, messy road to home ownership a little easier with low deposit mortgages and savings solutions.

The campaign is the bank’s first with Publicis Flame, a bespoke solution designed for Santander comprising of creative, media, production and data services, co-produced by Mitre Studios. The work introduces a distinctive new creative platform prioritising hope and grounded optimism, building on a simple but bold commitment to help a ‘lost generation’ get moving, and marks the first articulation in the UK of Santander’s ‘It Starts Here’ global platform.

Research from Santander found that over half of new homeowners (52%) found that saving up a deposit was the biggest barrier to buying a home*, with the average Santander first time buyer putting down a deposit of £85,000 in 2025. In order to help the next generation of buyers get onto the ladder sooner, the bank launched “My First Mortgage” for house purchases, offering borrowing of up to 98% of the property purchase price, enabling first time buyers to buy with a £10,000 deposit, which could be as low as 2% of the price. My First Mortgage is the latest in a suite of support Santander offers first time buyers. This includes 5% deposit mortgages, which are available on new build, houses and flats, and a dedicated First Time Buyer Hub to help them on their journey.

The integrated creative centres on the Moving Van – painted in signature Santander red – which is depicted across bespoke executions for each channel. The van visually travels the road that first time buyers all make to become homeowners, from the brown stacked boxes of the literal moving journey to on the road interviews with different movers.

Ant and Dec, who have starred in Santander’s advertising since 2019, return in 30” and 60” spots directed by Aaron Stoller through Biscuit Filmworks. This time they're playing themselves, bringing their natural wit and warmth to the story. Packed into the Moving Van along with a new buyer's furniture and boxes, they are determined to help savers get on the ladder by ensuring they're aware that they can now access a mortgage with a deposit as low as £10k. The need to raise awareness is evident when you consider research from the bank which shows that one in five buyers believe a minimum of £50,000 is needed to buy a first home**.

The Moving Van also lives across OOH and social executions shot by Ronan Gallagher, which all feature real movers from different stages of life including housemates, a young family, couples and a single buyer on the move with her dog.

‘Moving Starts Here’ will run across TV, cinema, VOD, online video, radio, OOH and social.

Dan Sherwood, Marketing Director, Santander said: “Getting on the property ladder can feel out of reach for many people. With ‘Moving Starts Here’, we set out to change that - showing, how, with our new mortgage and savings solutions, getting into your first home could be closer than it seems. Grounded in real customer insight, the campaign is designed to build confidence and momentum. The Moving Van becomes a powerful symbol of that shift - from uncertainty to possibility, from waiting to moving forward. While Ant & Dec continue to bring their unmistakable warmth, this marks a new creative direction for us - more grounded, more purposeful, and focused on turning belief into action for first-time buyers.”

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi said: “Santander are helping more young people on the path to home ownership. Ant and Dec remain, but to deliver a straighter message and with bags of charm, craft, and a 1970’s easy listening revival. The OOH sets a new visual direction rooted in real life and we’re excited for what’s to come.”

Gemma Nightingale, Head of Entertainment at Mitre Studios said: “Continuing Santander’s long-running partnership with Ant and Dec, this new campaign heralds a brand-new creative approach for the relationship, and one that intentionally meets the realities of home ownership head-on. Talking straight down the lens from the back of a moving van, Ant and Dec leave the mischief behind to focus on something more important: helping first time buyers take their first step on the property ladder. By mixing candour with warmth, and openness with humour, this is a campaign that intentionally speaks to a generation of hopeful Brits who want to make their home-owning dreams a reality.”

Credits:

Brand: Santander

Dan Sherwood Marketing Director, Santander UK

Tina Boyle Head of Advertising & Marketing Communications, Santander UK

Sam Westwood Marketing Communications, Santander UK

Jane Green Marketing Communications, Santander UK

Kate Attwood Marketing Communications, Santander UK

Stephen Howell Media Strategy, Santander UK

Neha Mistry Media Strategy, Santander UK

Agency: Publicis Flame

Chief Creative Officer: Franki Goodwin

Chief Strategic Officer: Sam Wise