All Diamond Award winners in this category are listed below.
Category’s Best winners—marked with a 💎—earned the highest score within their asset grouping.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Austin, TX
It "All Starts With U" is a powerful membership growth campaign that delivered more than 65 million impressions, exceptional video completion rates, and nearly 200,000 site actions. By unifying all channels under a bold, Member-first creative platform, the campaign significantly increased brand familiarity and consideration among prospective Members. It demonstrates how a modern, human-centered brand strategy can drive measurable membership growth in a highly competitive market.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Moon Township, PA
Acquisition offers are everywhere, and as credit unions, we can't always offer the high dollar figures large banks like Chase or Bank of America can tout. Despite that, we knew that in order to be competitive, we needed to have an intriguing offer that didn't present the potential member with too much friction to obtain it. To make our offer even more compelling and uniquely ours, we incorporated '4-1-2' as a nod to our Pittsburgh roots. Not only does this pay homage to the city's iconic area code, but it also reinforces our deep connection to the community we serve. This thoughtful touch helped us stand out in a crowded market while resonating with local pride.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Plymouth, MI
To help our members and communities double the holiday cheer this year, we doubled down with a multi-touch campaign across two encoding channels: Rational and Emotional. Offer-centered Black Friday comms connected with people as they were prepping their budgets for Black Friday.
Leading up the Christmas holiday, we switched tracks to emotional messaging that raised up family connection and give giving: hosting free holiday photos at select branches and giving away free branded stuffed bears with every in-branch High Yield Savings opening for people to pass along the joy of the Gift of Savings to loved ones. It was a winning combo. Double the holiday cheer more than doubled our new High Yield Savings account openings with a 219% jump in account openings YOY and a 52.56% spike in new member openings vs. the same period in 2024.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Midland, MI
The “Open to All” campaign was designed to accelerate membership growth by eliminating long-standing misconceptions that Dow Credit Union served only Dow employees or a limited region. Following a charter expansion, the strategy centered on a bold, unmistakable message—“Dow Credit Union is Open to All!”—supported by visually striking graphics that were easy to read and remember.
A multi-channel approach amplified reach through TV and radio ads, billboards, bus wraps, social media, digital ads, and front-page newspaper spadeas, reinforced by community engagement and media outreach. This campaign successfully redefined brand perception, built trust, and attracted new members by making inclusivity impossible to ignore.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Langley, BC
Referral Perks® is more than a referral program—it’s a data-powered engine for membership growth. By activating ten distinct marketing channels and harnessing the advocacy of our members—43% of whom are likely to recommend First West—we set a new benchmark for acquisition: 26% higher membership growth, one in three new members joining via referral, and a 35% lower acquisition cost.
Every touchpoint, from digital banners to direct mail, was personalized and optimized in real time, transforming conversations into connections and connections into growth.
This campaign demonstrates that when innovation, analytics, and authentic member relationships converge, the result is measurable impact—raising the bar for credit union marketing and proving that sustainable growth is built on genuine advocacy and smart strategy.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Gardena, CA
NGFCU was on a mission, but it wasn’t impossible: to dramatically increase new memberships in a single-month campaign. By employing a creative multi-channel campaign, and with the assistance of a highly trained team, they exceeded their campaign goals. Increasing the incentive amounts for a short period of time upped the sense of urgency, and the team accepted their mission, working together to educate prospects on the benefits of membership. The results: mission accomplished!
Assets greater than $1 billion | Corpus Christi, TX
The TV spots from the campaign received positive feedback in the markets – the creative stood out from other banking campaigns with a good balance of humor and fun, without losing the credibility of a trusted financial institution. It left a positive impact with an upbeat and cheerful representation of the brand at a critical time in the credit union’s brand evolution.
However, it was the digital campaign that was eye-opening, because with the granular targeting and re-targeting capabilities, you’re able to see a very linear path in the customer journey – from brand discovery to engagement and enrollment. A true testament to the value of balancing traditional and digital marketing.
Assets greater than $1 billion | Lexington, KY
Simply put, this campaign was aimed squarely at busting the myth that membership to UK Credit Union is only for those associated with the University of Kentucky, and focusing on the truth that we really are For All Y'all in central Kentucky and beyond. From the hollers to the horse tracks, from the country lakes to the cityscapes, UK Credit Union if For All Y'all.
To show the success of this campaign, 2025 significantly outperformed 2024 for overall Member Growth. Starting in August (traditionally our strongest month of the year) and running through December, we had monthly growth totals of 5.34%, 5.63%, 2.99%, 3.04%, and 4.47% compared with 5.00%, 1.72% and three months (October through December) of negative growth in 2024.
