The Dark Square

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National Bank

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National Bank

Empowering Newcomers: National Bank’s Targeted Digital Campaign for South Asians in Canada

Solutions

National Bank of Canada is one of the country’s leading financial institutions, offering a comprehensive suite of banking, investment, and wealth management services. Headquartered in Montreal, the bank serves individuals, small businesses, corporations, and institutions across Canada. Known for its personalized customer approach and strong regional presence—particularly in Quebec—National Bank combines traditional banking with modern digital solutions to meet the needs of today’s diverse financial landscape. From personal loans and credit cards to tailored commercial banking and advisory services, the bank continues to innovate through technology-driven platforms and sustainable finance initiatives. Its reputation for community engagement and responsible banking practices makes it a trusted partner for Canadians seeking secure and growth-oriented financial solutions.

Services

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Overview

To increase brand awareness and generate leads among South Asian newcomers to Canada, Dark Square agency to roll out a powerful and culturally tailored campaign in a strategic collaboration for National Bank of Canada. The primary objective was to promote a range of essential banking products—including Mastercard, mortgage services, personal loans, and new account openings—both online and at physical branches. The target audience was clearly defined as newcomers, specifically individuals who had recently arrived in Canada or had lived in the country for up to five years. A key focus of the campaign was to drive measurable traffic from online channels to retail banking branches, while also conducting A/B testing to differentiate performance between East and West markets within the Greater Toronto Area. Dark Square delivered a comprehensive digital strategy comprising programmatic ads, DV360 campaigns, social media lead generation ads, Google brand and lead generation ads, and YouTube in-stream video ads. Advanced performance tools were utilized, including foot attribution from online to offline, geo-fencing, call-to-action tracking, goal completion monitoring, customer attribution modeling, full-funnel sales tracking, event tracking, and a dedicated landing page. A standout aspect of the campaign was its cultural sensitivity: every creative asset was designed in-language—tailored to the South Asian community’s native tongues—and visually curated with relevant imagery based on audience segmentation and media consumption behavior. The results were impressive. The campaign reached over 6.7 million people, recorded an interaction rate of 14%, and generated more than 800,000 page views, with users spending an average of 1 minute and 25 seconds on the landing page. The initiative produced over 5,000 leads, drove 1,200 individuals to bank branches, secured 500+ appointment bookings, and resulted in 300+ confirmed new account openings. On social media, the campaign achieved a massive reach of over 4 million with an outstanding engagement rate of 24%. YouTube in-stream ads also saw exceptional performance, with 25% video plays at 98.62%, 50% at 97.79%, 75% at 90.14%, and full 100% completions at 92.32%. All of this was achieved at a highly competitive cost, with the average CPM coming in 9% lower than the industry average—delivering meaningful results and strong ROI for National Bank’s mission to support and onboard newcomers across Canada.

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