Advertising from Element 79 Highlights Harris' Continued Dedication to Customer Service CHICAGO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris Bank revealed today the next generation of the bank's highly successful "We're Here to Help" campaign by Chicago agency Element 79. The television advertising continues to illustrate the ways that Harris offers "unexpected help," and introduces new situations in which Harris provides help through much-appreciated unexpected guidance. The campaign includes four new 30-second television spots, print, digital and outdoor advertising throughout Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis, including the wrapping of Metro and CTA cars in Chicago. "The 'We're Here to Help' message continues to be a cornerstone of the Harris spirit, and the new creative is a great illustration of our mission," said Justine Fedak, Chief Marketing Officer at Harris. "The new ads' clever take on 'help' really captures our dedication to continuously delivering better and better customer service. And we know that this is definitely a time when our customers value proactive recommendations and help. " The new television spots feature everyday individuals in vulnerable situations when they encounter a Harris Bank sign that guides them at precisely the right moment. In one spot, for instance, a woman looks befuddled as she receives a text message reading, "c u after practice, HAK!" Her expression soon changes to reveal her joy however, when she looks up and sees a billboard that says "HAK = Hugs & Kisses." A locally relevant ad takes place at a Chicago Bulls game, where a distracted spectator is given a "heads up" via scrolling digital billboard, just in time to catch a t-shirt catapulted his direction by the much-loved Bulls mascot Benny the Bull. "'We're Here to Help' is more than just a slogan," said Alan Spindle, Creative Director at Element 79. "It's a quality that has for many years been embodied in everything Harris Bank does, and the Bank's recent honor from J.D. Power and Associates for Customer Satisfaction only further supports that. "Highest Customer Satisfaction with Retail Banking in the Midwest Region in a Tie." With each iteration of this theme, we strove to convey that Harris is always there for its customers, and in ways you wouldn't typically expect from your bank." About Harris Bank Harris Bank is an integrated financial service organization providing more than 1.2 million personal, business and corporate clients with banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions. The organization is a member of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), which also provides corporate and investment banking services in the U.S. under the BMO Capital Markets name. About Element 79 Founded in 2001, Element 79 is a part of Omnicom Group, Inc. A streamlined, highly efficient advertising agency, Element 79 creates business building brand idea platforms for its clients. Specializing in executing these ideas in both the digital/online arena and via traditional media, Element 79 is fully committed to helping its clients win by providing better creative solutions in a simpler, faster fashion. Clients include Alberto Culver, American Family Insurance, Amway, Central DuPage Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, Celebrity Cruises, ConAgra Foods, Harris Bank, Leap Wireless, Redbox and Supercuts. For more information, please visit http://www.element79.com/ Harris received the highest numerical score in a tie among retail banks in the Midwest (IL, OH, IN, MO, WI, MN, MI, IA) region in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on a total of 28,570 responses measuring 21 providers in the region and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. DATASOURCE: Harris Bank CONTACT: Jim Kappel of Harris Bank, +1-312-461-2478, ; or Leah Barrett of Element 79, +1-312-233-8254, Web Site: http://www.element79.com/ http://www.harrisbank.com/

Copyright