Over the last 59 years, UBL has come to be acknowledged as a progressive and innovative bank. These two brand identities have seen the bank contribute greatly towards financial inclusion and the economic development of Pakistan.

A legacy brand, UBL’s mantra is to provide the best banking services and products. Evident from its first print advertisement in 1959, UBL’s customer communication has focused on the bank’s reliability, efficiency, customer centricity and wide presence in and out of Pakistan.

Creative messages showcasing UBL’s efforts, be they about financial inclusion, its extensive network of customer touch-points, supporting social causes or reaching out to the next generation – all have one thing in common; UBL is striving towards building a customer-centric brand.

In the initial decades, the bank styled itself as ‘The Progressive Bank’. This was in keeping with a series of firsts the bank ushered in Pakistan’s banking landscape. As UBL expanded its footprint outside Pakistan, ‘The International Bank’ tagline highlighted the aspiration to be a world-class bank. The branch network advertisement printed in 1976 establishes the might of UBL with a daunting domestic as well as international presence – an institution that ‘helps you to stay ahead’.

Imagery has played a crucial role in the evolution of the UBL brand. Whether it’s the image of a computer spool expressing the bank’s innovative outlook, a mother and son photo depicting dependability and trustworthiness, or a hand holding a smartphone, striking images have always ably complimented the Bank’s advertising copy.

The UBL brand is now positioned to leverage the digital future and its advertising on social media bodes well for a future that will see FinTech take centre stage.

‘Where You Come First’, UBL’s current tagline came into force in 2003. The essence behind it is that UBL customers come first, and in every interaction they have with UBL, they must always feel that they are more important than anyone else.

Creative messages showcasing UBL’s efforts, be they about financial inclusion, its extensive network of customer touch-points, supporting social causes or reaching out to the next generation – all have one thing in common; UBL is striving towards building a customer-centric brand.

The UBL brand is now positioned to leverage the digital future and its advertising on social media bodes well for a future that will see FinTech take centre stage.

Ali Habib is Head of Corporate Affairs & Marketing, UBL.

First published in THE DAWN OF ADVERTISING IN PAKISTAN (1947-2017), a Special Report published by DAWN on March 31, 2018.