DBS explains ‘bank less’ tagline as Aussie bank takes similar stance

Australian bank Bankwest has come under the spotlight for having a slogan similar to DBS Bank. The "bank less" philosophy was used in Bankwest's latest campaign, which was done in collaboration with Union agency, according to multiple media outlets. The campaign headline read "Less BS - yep, that's right, less bank stuff".In May this year, DBS Bank changed its tagline from “Living, Breathing Asia” to “Live more, Bank less”, the former being the company’s brand promise since 2006. An initial investment of SG$30million has been set aside to bring this new brand proposition to markets the brand has a presence in across Southeast Asia, Greater China and South Asia.A spokesperson from DBS said in a statement to Marketing that the "Live more, Bank less" brand promise was rolled out in tandem with the launch of digibank in India. The bank broke the mould of traditional banking as it operates completely paperless, signatureless and branchless.The spokesperson said this was the "epitome" of the bank's new tagline as it aims to allow its customers to spend more time on what matters most. She added that the tagline reflects the bank's belief in the digital era as it aims to challenge the status quo and reimagine banking.DBS however did not comment when asked about the Bankwest ad."By leveraging technology and embedding digitalisation across all facets of our business, we are able to deliver banking that is fast, hassle-free, intuitive and seamlessly embedded into our customers lives. This in turn allows them to spend time pursuing what matters most — in other words, it enables our customers to have a lot more life, with a lot less bank," the spokesperson added.Marketing has reached out to Bankwest for comment.