An idea of prehistoric proportions has earned Winstanley Associates some national acclaim.

A consumer campaign created by the advertising agency, dubbed ‘Evolved’ and developed for Springfield, Mass.-based Hampden Bank, played on the idea of ‘out-of-town corporate dinosaurs’ adversely affecting local prosperity, and was recently chosen as one of the best national advertising campaigns in the financial services sector by the American Banker’s Assoc.

Creatures such as the ‘VelociMerger,’ ‘Bureaucradon,’ and ‘Bully Mammoth’ were devised to illustrate this idea, which was then delivered to the local marketplace through a number of media channels, including television, radio, billboards, bus graphics, and a number of print advertisements. The project also garnered three gold regional ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) earlier this year.

Hampden Bank and Winstanley Associates were recognized as runner-up in the national competition, in the ‘brand campaign’ category.

The ABA’s Financial Marketing Awards honor the best bank advertising and marketing campaigns from across the U.S. Established in 1972, the ABA Financial Marketing Awards give recognition to both bank marketing professionals and their agencies, for creative excellence based on bank asset size.

A panel of financial services marketers and advertising professionals from around the country judged each entry, based on execution of the communications strategy, message and positioning, and the campaign’s overall results.