San Francisco Federal Credit Union: Borrow From Us Campaign

Project: Increase mortgage and personal loan applications while building stronger brand awareness, especially among younger audiences.

The Challenge: Loan applications were falling short of monthly targets, and the credit union struggled with the perception that it wasn’t relevant or appealing to younger consumers.

My Approach: The team started by testing a range of messaging in different San Francisco districts to see what resonated. Once a winning headline emerged, we leaned into a bold, humorous tone to break through the noise and connect with a younger demographic.

The campaign centered around edgy and memorable billboards placed in high-traffic spots like outside restaurants and bars, near major public transit hubs, and directly across from office windows where they couldn’t be missed and conversations were sure to be had.

Impact: The campaign sparked a viral reaction, including an organic Twitter war in which some loved the ads while others hated them.

  • Loan applications rose by 11%.

  • The buzz significantly elevated brand awareness.

  • Our goal of growing brand awareness was achieved on a platform where our target audience was.

Billboard on a city highway at dusk, advertising a financial institution with the message 'Don't marry for money. Borrow from us.' featuring a man with a surprised expression and a woman with platinum blonde hair, alongside logos for San Francisco Federal Credit Union and a website link.
Advertisement on a bus stop shelter promoting borrowing from San Francisco Federal Credit Union with the message 'Don't marry for money. Borrow from us.' The ad features two young people, a woman with curly red hair wearing a pink shirt and yellow pants, and a man with short dark hair wearing a striped shirt and a colorful hat, against a blue background with trees and city buildings in the background.

Website Redesign

Project: Design a responsive website, an online banking platform, and a mobile banking app, modernizing the credit union’s digital presence and helping members make the shift from in-person to online banking.

The Challenge: Most members weren’t using online banking and were uncertain about changing their banking habits. The average member age was 58 (as of 2015).

My Approach: Collaborated with internal stakeholders to understand business goals and member pain points. After conducting research, I developed wireframes and visual mockups. I worked directly with third-party developers to support implementation, answer UX/UI questions, and provide design assets needed to ensure a smooth build process.

Impact: Within the first 6 months, the new responsive site and mobile app gained 13,000 new users

  • In-branch support was offered for members needing assistance, but feedback showed most found the new experience intuitive and easy to use.

  • The modern, user-friendly design helped increase membership and strengthen overall engagement.

This project successfully bridged the gap between digital transformation and user adoption, giving members tools they could trust.

A desktop computer, a laptop, and a smartphone all displaying the same webpage about San Francisco Federal Credit Union, with a background image of a dog on a beach, a large glass vase with green plants, a smaller pot with a succulent, and a white keyboard on a light-colored desk.
A series of wireframes depicting a mobile banking app interface, including a splash screen, login page, accounts overview, account details, and a side menu with search and navigation options.
Multiple smartphones displaying the San Francisco Federal Credit Union app and login screens, with the credit union's logo visible.
A sketch of a web page layout for checking and savings accounts, including sections for checking account, savings account, and icon features, with annotations. Next to it, a wireframe of a webpage with checkboxes for checking, savings, and money markets. On the far right, a colored digital mockup of a banking website titled 'Checking and Savings' with icons, descriptions, and a footer.