JUSAN
Creative Director - Dmitry Shchegolikhin, Timur Shaitkaliyev
Director/DOP: Sardar Baimoldin
Produced by @dva.d.prod
Producer: Evgeniya Moreva
Line Producer: Mark Kotokonov
Art director: Marita Ardashova
CONTEXT
Jusan Bank has not released a major image communication since the end of 2022. Meanwhile, the number of reactions from the audience, even to very attractive product offers, has decreased as a percentage of impressions. It is possible that the brand has started to evoke fewer emotions.
TASK
The task was to vividly remind people of the brand’s character, evoke emotions in the audience, and get reactions. It is important to bear the following in mind:
1. Since 2022, public attention and approval in Kazakhstan have shifted from affluent urban fashionistas to ordinary regional Kazakh people who work hard for the good of society. These individuals might be developing their initially small but fair businesses. As a result, they achieve well-deserved success while remembering their roots.
The name Jusan refers to a type of steppe grass — Artemisia. Jusan is the scent of the native steppe. It is well-known to every Kazakh, especially to those living in the countryside.
2. One of the actively growing segments of the financial market is small-sized businesses, which have a demand for convenient management of all their financial tasks via a smartphone.
3. It is important to show that Jusan is a digital bank that keeps up with the times, with all major solutions for individuals and businesses accessible with just a few taps on a smartphone.
SOLUTION
We decided to create a film telling the story of an ordinary Kazakh from a rural area who, possessing the true passion and spirit of a steppe dweller, does not give up in the face of any difficulties, takes on bold challenges, and ultimately achieves great success in business and life. We were inspired by many real stories of Kazakh entrepreneurs who literally started their journey from the ground up. Such people know that there is only one reason for all your successes and failures – yourself. That’s why we decided to name our story “It’s All in Your Hands.” From a blade of artemisia in the aul to building a business empire.
Such a message allows us to naturally incorporate a smartphone into the narrative, showcasing a wide range of Jusan’s financial products and services in your hands.
We understood that this would be a long story, and in Kazakhstan, viewers generally have a lukewarm reaction to lengthy commercials with heavy product placement. Therefore, we needed to capture the viewer’s attention from the get-go throughout the entire narrative. We succeeded in doing this thanks to the following:
The first appearance of Jusan’s product happens only 13 seconds into the film. Before that, the narrative is perceived more as a sincere first-person story about a young man from the countryside and his challenging journey.
We meticulously planned the scene transition. Most viewers will be curious about how the next scenes will be stitched together dynamically, making them unable to break away from watching, even despite the product placement.
Realistic locations and characters. In contrast to the glossy ads of other banks, we show Kazakhstan’s real life and its real people with all their imperfections.
RESULT
On the main promotion platform – YouTube:
- The video in Kazakh received over 36,000 likes with 2.2 million views. The one-minute video had the 74% view-through rate.
- The video in Russian received over 4,000 likes with 1.2 million views. The one-minute video had the 84% view-through rate.
These are the best results among all Jusan’s commercials to date.