The Bank of England was ready to unveil Britain’s first polymer banknote, which featured none other than Sir Winston Churchill. But, the Bank needed to raise trust and educate the public about the new design before release. As part of their nationwide integrated marketing campaign, Cyber-Duck was selected to produce a stunning new website that offered unique ways to interact with, explore and share The New Fiver. The website received over 650,000 visitors in the first four months after launch.
Awards won
- Awwwards - Voted Honourable Mention for the Bank of England New Fiver website design
- Wirehive 100 Awards - Runner-up for Consumer Website of the Year for the Bank of England's New Fiver website
User-Centred Strategy
Following our accredited user-centred design process, we began with extensive stakeholder interviews across the Bank’s Digital, Comms and Banknote teams.
By combining their insights with meticulous audience research, we defined archetypal personas to target within the general public. These were grouped by interest – such as planners, influencers, grazers and hunters – as this was the most significant behavioural differentiator on the website.
Establishing these personas inspired our key content themes for The New Fiver website. Our work must fit within the Bank’s multi-channel educational campaign. So we considered how the website could integrate and enhance their diverse customer touchpoints from the Blenheim Palace launch event to roadshows, press and social media.
Meet your new fiver
We decided that striking a balance between detailed information and powerful graphics was the best way to capture attention yet educate the public. Our design for the New Fiver website offered unique ways to interact with, explore and share the banknote!
Users can enjoy exploring the note in 360° – dragging the slider to slowly reveal design features and intricate attributes.
Each benefit of polymer is encapsulated with a strong image – demonstrating the note’s resilience.
The life and work of Sir Winston Churchill is given full tribute by the Bank’s Governor, Mark Carney.
Press coverage
Articles delved into the note’s design and tested polymer to its limits. The website was featured in top news coverage including the BBC, Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Mail.
Website traffic
The website received over 650,000 visitors in the first four months after launch. This included over 40,000 visitors in just one day, when the note entered circulation in September!
Award nominations
The website’s design was voted for an Honourable Mention by the Awwwards. It was announced as the Runner-Up for the Best Consumer Website at the Wirehive 100 Awards.
Social media
It’s clear the website’s visual content engaged the British public and encouraged them to share the £5. Organic social media referred 28.6% of traffic – the most significant source of visitors.
Launching a new banknote in a new material that feels substantially different from traditional paper notes presents a tough challenge for us. We have to ensure the public are aware but also familiar with the new design and key features before the issuing date.
We chose Cyber-Duck to help us achieve not only awareness for the new note, but critically wider acceptance. They designed and developed a website that portrays The New Fiver almost as a work of art. It conveys the key messaging in a subtle and effective way through interactive elements and a stunning look overall.
Head of DigitalThe Bank of England
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