Barclays uses bowling to promote investing

The campaign highlights the platform’s award-winning status, its backing by Barclays and the removal of its monthly platform fee, positioning investing as a step towards long-term financial goals.

VCCP has launched Good Move, an integrated campaign for Barclays Direct Investing that aims to encourage more people in the UK to invest.

The campaign focuses on barriers to investing, particularly cost and confidence. Barclays research found that low fees and charges are the most important factor when choosing an investment service, cited by 39 percent of UK adults.

VCCP promotes Barclays Direct Investing platform

The campaign centres on a 60-second and a 30-second film titled Bumpers, directed by Andreas Nilsson through production company Biscuit, in collaboration with VCCP’s content creation studio Girl&Bear. The creative uses a bowling alley scenario to connect the idea of making a difficult shot with making a positive financial decision.

The film follows a man facing a challenging split in a bowling lane. After logging into his Barclays Direct Investing account, the lane’s bumper rails rise, allowing him to make a series of precise rebounds that knock down both pins. The film closes with the voiceover: “Another good move.” It continues: “An award-winning investment platform, now with no monthly fee. Barclays: backing your future."

Barclays campaign extends across multiple channels

VCCP creatives Ben Evans and Adam Sears developed the film concept. The wider campaign spans television, social media, print, out-of-home (OOH), radio and digital advertising.

VCCP creatives Ted Price and Adam Jackson developed the OOH work, while Robbie Field and Ludo Thomas led the brand social and radio executions. Girl&Bear produced the radio and OOH content, and VCCP’s digital experience agency Bernadette created digital banners and social assets.

VCCP develops investing vodcast for Barclays

The campaign also includes a vodcast designed to explain the connections between everyday situations, behavioural psychology and investing. Created by VCCP Social Club, the series will appear on the Barclays website, supported by paid social video cutdowns.

OMD handles media delivery, while Oliver produces the performance social and digital assets. The campaign aims to make investing more approachable by presenting the decision-making process through familiar analogies and accessible creative formats.

Barclays campaign addresses barriers to investing

The launch comes amid wider efforts to increase participation in investing across the UK. The industry-led Invest for the Future initiative, chaired by Sasha Wiggins, chief executive of Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, launched earlier in 2026 to change how investing is understood and encourage more people to consider its potential benefits for their financial wellbeing.

Simon Groves, Group MD of Brand, Creative and Media. Barclays: “We know that confidence remains one of the biggest barriers preventing people from investing. ‘Good Move’ is designed to challenge that by helping people feel more informed to consider whether investing could play a role in helping them achieve their long-term financial goals. As Barclays works to help more people invest and close the UK’s investment gap, this campaign is an important part of bringing that ambition to life.”

Yan Elliott, Creative Director, VCCP: “The investing world can feel confusing and exclusive. We worked with Barclays to create a campaign that aims to simplify the endless choices and make you feel like you’ve made a Good Move – by investing in an award winning platform with no monthly fee. So you can know that everything is all in hand. Including a bowling ball.”

VCCP supports Barclays investment awareness drive

The nationwide campaign is running across television, radio, print, social media, digital and OOH. Through the integrated activity, VCCP and Barclays aim to address concerns around investing costs and confidence while encouraging more people to consider investing as part of their long-term financial planning.

www.barclays.co.uk

www.vccp.com

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