A Nationwide advertisement has been banned for inaccurately implying that the building society has not been closing branches.
In October and November, Nationwide launched a TV, radio, and press advertisement featuring actor Dominic West as a disconnected bank executive from the fictional A.N.Y Bank, who is determined to implement cutbacks and branch closures. His more perceptive assistant, played by comedian Sunil Patel, questions his decisions throughout the ad.
The advertisement includes the slogan: “Unlike the big banks we’re not closing our branches.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 282 complaints regarding the ad, including one from competitor Santander. The ASA found that Nationwide closed 152 branches, or 20% of its locations, over a 10-year period. While this percentage is smaller than that of its competitors, the ASA deemed it a “significant number.”
As a result, the regulator has ruled the advertisements as “misleading” and stated that they “must not appear again in their current form.”
In response to the ruling, Nationwide stated, “We recognise the ASA’s decision and are delighted to have the opportunity to make even clearer our now extended branch promise to keep every branch open until the start of 2028.”