NatWest and Team GB inspire nation ahead of Paris 2024

NatWest has unveiled its first Team GB ad campaign in the run up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

‘Whatever your goals, let’s get going’, marks the first in a program of activity supporting NatWest’s partnership with Team GB.

The new campaign builds on the bank’s 'Tomorrow Begins Today' platform – inspiring the nation to take action today for a better tomorrow, while also encouraging people to get behind Team GB in the run up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The campaign showcases the power of motivation and momentum in achieving your goals and features Olympic medallists, Asha Philip, Max Whitlock, Emily Campbell, Duncan Scott, Helen Glover and Beth Shriever, alongside employees from NatWest.

It will run from now and throughout the Olympics in July and August across all internal and external media channels.

Margaret Jobling, Chief Marketing Officer at NatWest, said: “Our partnership with Team GB is hugely exciting for us as a business, it is relatable and inspiring for all our customers, colleagues and communities across the UK and I’m incredibly proud to be bringing it to life with the launch of our activation campaign.

“Team GB is full of such incredible talent and inspiring stories – with around 350 athletes across 37 disciplines hoping to travel to Paris in pursuit of their ultimate goal - they are the perfect partner to help us spread the message that whatever your goal, taking action is the important first step.

“So whether that’s saving for a new pair of trainers or your next family holiday, setting up your side hustle or performing in one of the world’s biggest and most inspiring sporting events – action feels good, and at NatWest we want to help you achieve those goals. So let’s get started.”

Carly Hodgson, Head of Marketing at Team GB, added: “We are really excited to see NatWest’s first program of activity launch and we hope that Team GB fans and NatWest customers are inspired by ‘Whatever your goals, let’s get going’, to get behind Team GB.”

Developed by NatWest, and strategic and creative agency The&Partnership, with Initiative undertaking the media planning and buying, the TV spot dramatises Asha Philip leading an epic charge, inspiring the UK to get going towards their goals.

The opening scene shows Asha plug in “tomorrow” as the destination on her smart watch. As she jogs towards her future, she’s joined by people from all walks of life who are celebrating milestones of their own. As the ad builds, we see (real) NatWest employees join – as well as Team GB athletes Max Whitlock, Emily Campbell and Beth Shriever.

The soundtrack continues the use of the Gwen Stefani Track – ‘What You Waiting for?’ that was used as part of the 2022 ‘Tomorrow Begins Today’ campaign.

Directed by Georgia Hudson and produced by Park Pictures, the multi-channel campaign will run across TV and cinema, radio, stature OOH and DOOH sites, bus wraps, social and web. Still and motion was captured by Photographer / Director Will Cornelius and produced by CRXSS and The Laundry Room.

The media mix is expertly crafted by Initiative ensuring Team GB athletes shine in as many spaces as possible, and to help galvanise the nation into action in this Olympic year. NatWest’s partnership with Team GB is also supported by Pitch Marketing Group, who will be rolling out a series of experiential and integrated activations in the run up to the Games.

Micky Tudor, ECD of The&Partnership, commented: “NatWest wanted to inspire the country to get going on their goals. So naturally we smashed Team GB, a Gwen Stefani banger and Georgia Hudson’s music video approach together. The result is an epic spot that’s full of playfulness and dynamism.”

Sharon Dhillon, MD of Initiative, said: “The dynamism from the creative needed to pull through into how NatWest showed up to the country. Through media, we focused on inspirational, high momentum moments and media placements that encourage people to take financial action today.”

In addition to the brand ad, NatWest will also be delivering two product focussed spots – the first aimed at inspiring people to save towards their goals with help from the NatWest app, and the second to encourage SMEs and StartUps to take their business to the next level by taking part in the NatWest Business Accelerator program.

Further product campaigns partnering with Team GB will be rolled out in the coming months, marking a commitment by NatWest to celebrate this partnership across its entire business while also encouraging people to take control of their finances.

Credits

NatWest:

Senior clients:

Chief Marketing Officer: Margaret Jobling

Brand Marketing Director: Nicky Mackrell

Head of Brand Advertising: Petra Cameron

Brand Advertising Leads: Ben Wood, Charlotte Holmes Brand Advertising Managers: Elise Celik, Rachel Ward

Creative Agency:

Creative agency: The&Partnership

CEO: Sarah Golding

Planning Partner: Sarah Clark

Executive Creative Directors: Micky Tudor & Toby Allen Associate Creative Director: Carl Storey

Creative teams: Louella Minter and Josh Markey (TV) / Ben Rumble and Ed John (Print and Social)

Head of Integrated Production: Charles Crisp

Deputy Head of Integrated Production: Rick Carter

Senior Producer: Sam Topley

Strategy Director(s): David Adamson/ Matt Shaw Strategist: Anna Lilly

Client Lead: Rob Payne

Senior Account Director: Janette Murphy / Imogen Clark Senior Account Manager: Ffion Green / Freya Hogan Head of Art Buying: Emma Modler

Art Buyer: Ellen Green

Production Assistant: Luc MacMahon

Head of Art: Dan Beckett

Senior Designer: Steve Hanscomb

Post Production Lead (social): Simon Blakeley Animator (DOOH): Bob Vine

Retoucher: Joss Gardiner

Media Agency:

Media agency: Initiative

CEO: Will Spence

Managing Director: Sharon Dhillon

Chief Client Experience Officer: Brandi Stevens Client Partner: Milly Malone

Head of Planning: Verity Rapacchi

Strategy Director: Mark Jones

TV Director: Tom Vickers

Moving Picture

Production Company: Park Pictures

Director: Georgia Hudson

Director of Photography: Ruben Woodin Dechamps Managing Director/EP: Fran Thompson

Head of Talent & New Business: Simone Sebastian Producer: Katie Lambert

Production Manager: Andrea Harvey

Director’s Assistant: Honor Evans

Production Designer: Bon Walsh

Editing: tenthree

Editors: Ellie Johnson & Liam Bachler Assistant Editor: Matt Marshall

Edit Producer: Rachel Goodger

Post-Production: Electric Theatre Collective Exec Producer: Arianna Maniscalco Production Coordinator: Ryley King Colourist: Luke Morrison

Creative Director: Dean Robinson

VFX Supervisor: Stirling Archibald

2D Comp Team: Will Robinson, Antonia Palmer, Chris Fraser, Doruk Saglam & Scott

CG Team: Sergio Morales Paz, Alberto Scotti, Platon Filimonov, Hendrik Freuer, Tom

Audio Post-Production: Factory Sound Designer: Jon Clarke

Radio Sound Designer: Josh Campbell Producer: Emily Thomas

Music Supervision: We Are Theodore Music Supervisor: Arnold Hatting

Photography / Motion

Photographer / Director: Will Cornelius

Photography Agency: CRXSS

CRXSS Agent and Producer: John Cross / Elena Huntley

Still Post-Production: The Laundry Room

Motion Post-Production: Focus on Infinity Editor: Rachel Goldsworthy

Grade: Danilo Navarro

Sound: Janek Nasky