ABOUT

Insight

It’s estimated that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year, and as much as 80% of marine litter is plastic. At the current rate we are dumping items, by 2050, the oceans will carry more plastic mass than fish.

As a customer-owned bank, Bank Australia gives customers a voice and a vote in how the bank is run and the issues we take action on. Currently, the top reason to join Bank Australia is aligning with its values, which benefit people and the planet. Through customer values research, we found that protecting nature and biodiversity is the second most important issue for our customers (after acting on climate change).

Partnership



Bank Australia partnered with Parley for the Oceans to introduce a new suite of bank cards, offering a more sustainable option for its 300,000 customers. Parley for the Oceans™ upcycles plastic intercepted in areas where mismanaged waste threatens marine life and coastal communities.



Objectives

To create awareness of Bank Australia’s purpose – to empower people to use their money to create a world where people and the planet thrive. The card is just one more small way that we’re improving the way we do business.

Increase in prompted awareness by 24%

Encourage switching behaviour through clear, action-oriented messaging.


The campaign was delivered in three phases.


1 | Launch 17 Sept 2025

To mark the launch of Bank Australia’s new recycled plastic bank cards – made with 100% recycled plastic*, 64% collected from coastal communities by Parley for the Oceans™ – we collaborated with artist Swapna Namboodiri to create the ‘Aquarium of Tomorrow’, a discarded plastic-focused, public art installation in the heart of Sydney.

Swapna created a large-scale sculpture of 17 marine creatures – including a prominent shark – all crafted from thousands of plastic items commonly found polluting the ocean, such as bottle caps, plastic bags, cans, and food wrappers. The installation appeared in Sydney’s Market Place and was supported with six marine and sustainability influencers that captured content on the launch day.




2 | Campaign 



The campaign consisted of a mix of out-of-home, digital display, organic and paid social, Junkee partnership, Frankie magazine partnership from September -November 2025.


The creative showcased the Good Design Winning card in clear ocean water - supported by the headline 'Pay with purpose. Not virgin plastic.

Ongoing commitment

More businesses using Parley Ocean Plastic™ will fund more beach clean-up projects to ensure we protect the fragility of our oceans. After all, Life under the Sea is one of the United Nations’ SDGS.

Fewer PVC cards in circulation means less plastic waste, full stop.

The commercial benefits for Bank Australia of switching suppliers to use Parley Ocean Plastic™ are savings of $104,000 per annum. The long-term saving for the planet and our oceans is priceless.

The card's body is made from recycled plastic*, with 64% collected from coastal communities by Parley for the Oceans™.

Bank Australia has Nature and biodiversity as one of its four impact pillars.

On a recent volunteer day at Jawbone Marine Sanctuary, around 25 Bank Australia staff joined the team from Parley for the Oceans to clean up a stretch of coastline. These beach clean-ups are now open to customers.




The Aquarium for the Future was reused at several marina and climate conferences.

The campaign followed the principles set out by AdNetZero. In 2024, Silver Lining was awarded Mumbrella's Award for Sustainable Practices. In September 2026, the Bank Australia banking cards won a Good Design Award.

Digital OOH, using energy-efficient LED technology, renewable power sources, and eliminating physical printing waste. Static skins were recycled under the Bank Australia recycling scheme in conjunction with Sustain.

*There are additional materials that need to be applied to be functional for payments and scheme-compliant that cannot be sourced from recycled plastic. These include the microchip, antenna, contact plate and associated solder where applicable, magnetic strip and the scheme hologram.

Results



The most successful Brand campaign to date: ROI of 252%, outperforming the last Bank Australia Needs campaign that ran in March – April 2025  (167%).

Acquisition numbers increased by 42% YoY over the campaign period.

Everyday Access accounts during the campaign period with an average incremental increase of 48%.

The momentum peaked in November, with a massive 68% YoY incremental boost.

Channel ROI split:
•Outdoor: 235% (strongest driver)
•Meta: 172%

Source: Mutinex

Incremental ROI: 235%)

The Junkee partnership, led by the Content team, delivered outstanding results, surpassing benchmarks in video views by an impressive 331%.

OOH was the most effective channel, delivering a 235% incremental return.
OOH delivered the highest ROI efficiency and cou

Influencers drove over 164k views with a reach of 83,806. 


Credits:

Client: Bank Australia x Parley for the Oceans
Card Design: Silver Lining

Creative: Silver Lining

Snr Designers: Matt Clare, Aimee Alta
Renders: Tim Wilson


PR and Experiential: Compass Studio
Artist: Swapna Namboodiri
Photography: Hell's Studio, Good&Proper