Out of the Blue

South Carolina Federal Credit Union was established in 1936, but recently moved into Florence, SC after acquiring one of the town’s local credit unions. With a long history of community activism, SC Federal immediately dedicated itself to giving back to its newest neighbors. As its branches first opened up around town, the credit union launched a campaign to alert Florence residents and businesses to expect a strong new community force, leveraging its assets beyond merely offering its excellent financial services. The credit union prides itself in its own corporate culture of being one of South Carolina’s best places to work. Based on its brand colors, the staff all wears a unified blue, and is often referred to as the Blue Crew. With this foundation, and its dedication to providing Florence with random acts of community support, the program was christened “Out of the Blue.” Special brandwear was created for staff to wear at public events in Florence, and orange map pins were incorporated into the campaign to punctuate specific sites around town and to complement the prominent corporate blues. Multiple social and media channels were activated to spread the word to ignite the community’s participation as widely and enthusiastically as possible.