Big Push for iPhone Banking

Just noticed a new series of adverts for the UK's Natwest Bank and their new iPhone app:

The ads played heavily across the UK mainstream TV networks last week.

Very good.

Press release is available here, and more on mobile at Natwest ...

... meanwhile, download the iPhone app for free if interested.

This builds on their other recent launch of O2 Visacard powered by Natwest.

I would normally be congratulating the bank for doing this, as they're the first mainstream ads I've seen of this nature from a mainstream bank ... except that it is interesting that Natwest start a major push into mobile banking and payments just as RBS, their parent firm, disbands their dedicated mobile strategy team.

Something strange afoot one wonders?

Equally, the fact that these ads are hard to find online - they're not on YouTube or in the main Google search results - means that Natwest have missed a trick to use social media to leverage this rollout.  And there also appears to be no direct communication to the customer about the new app, e.g. where's the ad on their homepage?

Nevertheless, as a first in my sphere of awareness in terms of advertising a core new banking service on the mobile, this a positive step forward.

Meanwhile, although this is a first in UK banking as a serious rollout from a bank, it's not the first iPhone app for banking with MoBank launching during the summer and, in the USA, Wells Fargo, PNC, HSBC and more rolling out iPhone apps recently.

Many more are expected.  According to NetBanker,
"each major bank will roll out dozens of apps, perhaps hundreds, to
support their business lines, major products and large segments."

Great stuff.

Just a bit of a shame that all I've got is a Nokia ...