Umpqua Bank

The Lemonaire - A campaign to promote small business checking by helping kids open lemonade stands.

We helped Umpqua reach small businesses by demonstrating how we can help the smallest of small businesses: the lemonade stand. The campaign which included running ads written in crayon promoted Umpqua’s special program to help kids start and promote their own lemonade stands. Those interested got start up kits including $10 in capital. While the lemonade stand is a good metaphor for small business banking, it turned out to be a great way for Umpqua to build new relationships in the community by helping kids, (some of whom whose parents were small business owners) start their first business. This campaign became a big part of Umpqua Bank’s reputation for non-traditional marketing. To this day it shows up in a few books on the subject of experiential marketing and is admired among marketers in the banking industry. The campaign blew away their goals and expectations by bringing in new customers and deposits for small businesses.

New York Times article.