ABN AMRO and N=5 launch short thriller to recruit financial crime fighters.

Dutch bank ABN AMRO is searching for hundreds of young professionals to join the battle against money laundering and fraud. Not with a traditional campaign, but with a short financial thriller: The Dark Side of Money.

The film lets viewers experience the harsh reality behind money laundering and at the same time tests if they have the sharp eyes needed for a job as a financial crime analyst. The Dark Side of Money is available for viewing online and will hit over 100 theaters nationwide. 

The Dutch financial system is being misused on a large scale for fraud and money laundering. Just last year, €16,000,000,000 was pumped through Dutch banks illegally. This money is used to drive drug trade, human trafficking and terrorism. Resulting in many innocent victims. This has to stop. ABN AMRO already has 2,000 people working full-time to prevent criminals from. But unfortunately it’s not enough.

That’s why Cannes Entertainment Grand Prix winner N=5 (Evert_45) and ABN AMRO created the Dark Side of Money. At first glance it’s an ordinary film, but the target audience will notice that the film contains suspicious details, which are all common signs of money laundering. In an integrated campaign surrounding the film, viewers are challenged to spot them all. The ones who do are exactly the reinforcements ABN AMRO needs to keep financial criminals at bay.

Thijs Bontje, Executive Creative Director,  N=5

"At N=5 we believe in the power of entertainment. Especially when you are targeting young people, since you have to compete for their attention with all the ‘crap from the web’ and Netflix. It forces you to communicate in a creative, interactive and layered way. For a young brand that might be easy peasy, but for ABN AMRO it’s a new and thrilling step to advertise like that." 

Annet van Hunen, Campaign Manager, ABN AMRO

"Recruiting young people to work at a bank is no easy task. They don’t know the work has a major social impact. We wanted to let them feel that in a way that taps into their interests and frame of reference: movies and series. This approach gave us the freedom to show the scope of the money laundering problem to a big audience, while at the same time finding viewers with eagle eyes and sharp mind, to help us solve it."

Ad agency: N=5

Creative Director Thijs Bontje

Creative Director Daniel te Lindert

Copywriter Leon Ragetlie

Art Director Gabriela Nouws

Strategy Director Esther Overmars

Strategist Silvia van Hooft

Web Director Marcel Hellemons

Head of Account Judith Lavalette

Client Service Director Merel Hoogendorp

Account Manager Maaike Langereis

Producer Anna Bosscher

Digital Producer Hans Dekker

Designer Noortje Hulshof

Motion Graphics Sander Kruit

Motion Graphics Robine Schmetz

Graphic Design Ralph Bannink

Film/Photography

Scenario Blue ter Burg

Scenario Quintin Baker

Director Blue ter Burg

Producer Quintin Baker 1

Photography Ron Gessel

Editor Mark Schokkenbroek

Music Composer Marcus Gehring Dop Willem van der Eerden Gaffer Ralf van Reijsen Art Department Goof Vermeulen