By Ray Birch
FAIRFAX, Va.–For a long time, Apple FCU fought the connection between its name and that of the much-better known technology brand, telling consumers they should not confuse the former teachers CU with the international icon.
But that changed more than a year when the credit union decided to instead embrace the connection, creating a series of commercials that parodied some of Apple’s most recognizable TV spots over the years—including the old PC vs. Mac spots.
It’s a decision the $2.7-billion Apple FCU now credits for having led to strong performence over the last year, including 10% deposit growth, 10%, membership growth, and exceeding interchange income targets by almost 13%.
Cynthia McCree, SVP of marketing research and member engagement, told CUToday.info consumers used to confuse the credit union named Apple with the technology company called Apple, including the CU’s old logo, before the credit union rebranded and went to a community charter.
There was other confusion, as well. In late 2017 Apple FCU conducted a brand survey that revealed consumers thought they had to be a teacher or be connected with the school system to join the credit union, a challenge that has confronted many CUs that have expanded their fields of membership.
At that point, Apple FCU decided it needed to develop a campaign that repositioned the CU as a community institution.
‘Embracing’ The Difference
“Believe it or not, they would mistake us for the tech giant when we went out into the community, at events and so forth,” said McCree. “So after years of fighting off the brand comparison, we just decided to embrace it. We decided everybody knows who Apple is, we may as well leverage that in the Metro D.C. area—the sixth most expensive television market. But we knew we had to come up with something that was catchy, would resonate, and tell our story that we are not just for teachers anymore. That led us to the ‘Other Apple’ campaign.”
The effort started in 2018 with commercials that parodied Apple’s famous product launches.
“We had such great results with those commercials we decided to continue with the approach,” said McCree. “People would see our commercials and when they spotted our staff or came into a branch they’d say, ‘Oh yeah, you guys are that other Apple.’ That’s exactly what we wanted to happen.”
That campaign included a new microsite, www.theotherapple.org, which McCree said received 70,000 unique visits over a nine-month period during 2018. The site has a scrolling message that reads: “We started as Apple. For teachers. We’re still Apple. But now for almost anyone.”
‘Up a Notch’
With the great response to the initial campaign, McCree said the credit union decided to take the advertising approach “up a notch.”
“To have some fun with the old PC vs. Mac campaign was the logical progression,” she said.
A series of new commercials mimic the Mac Vs. PC commercials from Apple Computer—as it was known then—that ran from 2006-2009.
In the Apple Computer ads—the campaign was officially known as “Get a Mac”–actor John Hodgman played a stiff, dorky character who introduced himself as “I’m a PC,” opposite a cooler character portrayed by actor Justin Long, who introduced himself as “I’m a Mac.” In all, Apple Computer created 66 of the satirical and popular television commercials (all of which have been compiled into one YouTube video here.)
New Ads Update Old Spots
The new ads from Apple Federal Credit Union use similar characters, with an older banker in a pinstriped suit appearing opposite a younger man in a red Apple FCU shirt.
“At Apple Federal, we have really great people,” says the Apple FCU rep.
“Hey! We have ‘people’,” responds the bank character. “But our legal team feels that saying, ‘Great people’ could be overpromising’.”
The banker puts air quotes on the words “great people.”
“Gee, that’s kind of sad,” says the Apple FCU rep.
Growth in Two Metrics
While greater awareness is the campaign’s primary objective–which McCree said the CU has yet to measure–during 2018 Apple FCU saw 10% growth in deposits and membership, and it exceeded its annual interchange goal by about 13%.
What Apple FCU likes, too, about the commercials, is their broad appeal.
“We found it interesting that those responding to the commercials and visiting our microsite were split pretty evenly across all age groups,” McCree said. “Breakdown of interest shows those 25 to 34 represent 26.23% of visitors, 25.35% are 35 to 44, 45 to 54 are 17.66%, and 55 and over are 23%.”
McCree said she hoped the older PC vs. Mac spots would appeal to all ages, particularly with older Americans who grew up watching the commercials.
‘See Where it Takes Us’
Looking back, McCree joked about why the credit union waited so long to tie into the tech giant for advertising recognition.
“We fought the connection with Apple for a long time—oh, no, no, no,” she recalled. “But then we got to thinking, who doesn't want to be linked or tied to Apple. They have amazing brand awareness, so why not use that. We'll continue to evaluate the results of this campaign and see where it takes us.”