Nedbank, through their YouthX campaign, wanted to build a stronger relationship with incoming university students during open days and orientation week. Although young people were aware of the bank, most interactions ended at collecting merchandise. The challenge was to transform this passive behaviour into meaningful engagement that could lead to opening an account.
To solve this, our team developed “The Base,” a digital and on-campus engagement concept that blended student life, gamified rewards, educational content, and social media. The goal was to give students a reason to interact with the brand beyond a single moment and to position Nedbank as something useful, relevant, and genuinely supportive throughout the university journey.
Insight and Approach
Our research showed that many students feel left behind when it comes to financial literacy and support. They wanted tools and guidance but were often unsure where to begin.
This created an opportunity. Students were looking for support, community, and useful experiences. Nedbank was looking for meaningful engagement. “The Base” was created as the link between the two.
The Concept
“The Base” was designed as a student-focused ecosystem that encouraged participation, rewarded curiosity, and made financial engagement feel straightforward and approachable. Students could join activities during orientation week, earn points for participating, and use those points in a way that directly connected back to Nedbank’s Youth X offering. The emphasis was on relevance, participation, consistency, and a smooth transition from engagement to account-opening.
Social Media Content
The social media rollout introduced “The Base” in a way that suited Gen Z behaviour and preferences. Content was created to feel native to platforms students already use. The idea was to use simple posts to build awareness and excitement around the campaign. Everything was built to encourage interaction and to direct students toward on-campus and in-app activities.
Measuring Success
Although this concept was ultimately not selected, it was shaped around clear indicators of success. Engagement would be measured through social interactions, app sign-ups, challenge completions, and on-campus participation. Brand impact would be evaluated through youth sentiment and clearer visibility of Youth X offerings. Conversion would focus on the number of students who opened Nedbank accounts and the behaviour linked to reward redemption.