ASB Bank

ASB Bank Limited, commonly stylised as ASB, is a bank owned by Commonwealth Bank of Australia, operating in New Zealand. It provides a range of financial services including retail, business and rural banking, funds management, as well as insurance through its Sovereign Limited subsidiary, and investment and securities services through its ASB Group Investments and ASB Securities divisions. ASB also operated BankDirect, a branchless banking service that provided service via phone, online, EFTPOS and ATMs only.[5]

History

ASB was established in 1847 as the Auckland Savings Bank. The first meeting was held in the store of Campbell and Brown, and was attended by John Logan Campbell, Dr John Johnson, Rev Thomas Buddle, John Jermyn Symonds, John MacDougall, David Graham (a brother of Robert Graham), Robert Appleyard Fitzgerald,[6] Thomas Forsaith, John Israel Montefiore, James Dilworth, Alexander Kennedy, and William Smellie Graham.

Advertising and sponsorship

ASB has become known for using well-known characters in its advertising. The bank had a series of highly successful, award-winning commercials with the Ira Goldstein character (played by American actor Steve Mellor), a bumbling American banker sent to New Zealand to find out "what makes that bank different". The ads were popular over an 11-year period. However, the campaign ended in 2010 as the bank moved to a new advertising agency from TBWA/Whybin.[14]

In October 2011 the bank introduced the Experience ASB campaign with new advertising agency Droga5. The campaign featured voice overs by English actor Dame Judi Dench and allowed potential customers to "test drive" the bank before joining.[15]

In July 2012 ASB left Droga5 for Saatchi & Saatchi.[16] In February 2013 ASB launched a new advertising campaign featuring Brian Blessed playing a fictionalised version of himself encouraging New Zealanders to be proud of their achievements whether big or small.[17]

The bank also supports the ASB Community Trust, which was formed in 1988 with an endowment from the sale of ASB to Australia's Commonwealth Bank. The Trust has distributed more than $745 million since 1988, mostly giving grants to the arts, sport, recreation, environment, heritage, health and social services areas, as well as funding capital projects in local communities around New Zealand.[18]

ASB is the corporate sponsor and partner for a number of high-profile New Zealand organisations and events such as:

The bank is also a major sponsor of several event venues in New Zealand:

Hato Hone St John New Zealand[19]

Youthline[19]

New Zealand Red Cross[19]

ASB Classic [19]

Black Ferns, All Blacks and Rugby Aupiki[19]

ASB Polyfest - A four-day event in Auckland featuring over 9,000 student performers celebrating the culture of the Pacific and attracting an audience of over 90,000.[20]

ASB Tennis Centre[19]

ASB Theatre Marlborough[19]

ASB Auckland Waterfront Theatre [19]

ASB Atrium and ASB Careers Centre at the University of Auckland's Owen G. Glenn Building, home of the university's Business School.[19]

type	Subsidiary
foundation	June 5, 1847 (as Auckland Savings Bank)
location city	Auckland
location country	New Zealand
key people	Vittoria Shortt, CEO‡R1R‡
area served	New Zealand
num employees	4907
num employees year	2018
industry	Banking Financial services Investment services
products	Finance and insurance Consumer banking Corporate banking Investment banking Investment management Mortgages Credit cards
revenue	▲ NZ$1.607 billion (2011)‡R2R‡
operating income	$s‡R3R‡
income year	2024
assets	▲ NZ$63.5 billion (2012)‡R4R‡
parent	Commonwealth Bank of Australia
subsid	Sovereign Limited BankDirect
homepage	http://www.asb.co.nz/

History

Innovation

Advertising and sponsorship

See also

External links

References