A recent advertisement by Nationwide, featuring actor Dominic West, has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as it contained misleading information. The ad claimed that the building society was not closing any of its branches, which the ASA found to be untrue. In fact, Nationwide had closed a number of branches in the year prior to the ad campaign and had made a promise not to close any more until 2026, which was not sufficiently clear in the ad. The watchdog also noted that many banks have been closing branches due to changing customer habits and increased online banking usage, but that this has negatively impacted certain groups of people, including those with disabilities, older people, those in rural areas, and small businesses.
Santander was one of the complainants against the ads, as it had also closed some of its branches in the year prior to the campaign but had closed fewer than Nationwide had. The ad called out several other banks, including Lloyds Banking Group, Natwest, Barclays, Santander, and HSBC. In total, there were 281 complaints against the ads. In response, Nationwide stated that it had invested in keeping its branches open and currently has more branches than any other brand, particularly in over 90 communities where it is the only remaining bank.
Nationwide had closed 14 branches in the year prior to the ad campaign and 152 branches over a decade, which is lesser than its competitors. The ASA conceded that it was only a relatively small percentage of Nationwide’s branch network but emphasized that it was still a significant number. Moreover, the watchdog pointed out that Nationwide made a branch promise in 2019 to not leave towns or cities without a branch, unless there are “circumstances outside of our control.” In 2023, Nationwide updated the promise, vowing not to close any branches until at least 2026, which was later extended until 2028.
While the ad featured Dominic West as the head of a fictional bank who mocks customers while preparing to close branches, Nationwide aimed to contrast itself with those banks by highlighting its commitment to public service. The ad ran on TV, the radio, and in the press. The ASA’s decision to ban the ad comes amid growing concern over the impact of bank branch closures on consumers in the UK, particularly elderly and vulnerable people who have difficulty accessing digital banking services
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