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NatWest Pigs etc.

PiggyBankCollector
PiggyBankCollector Posts: 15 Forumite
10 Posts
edited 26 April 2022 at 4:16PM in Savings & investments
Some of us will remember the NatWest pigs issued by the bank almost 40 years ago.  Probably one of the most successful bank savings campaigns which encouraged so many of us to save over a period of years in order that we might receive Woody, Annabel, Maxwell, Lady Hilary and Sir Nathaniel if we managed to save £100+.  NatWest have run similar savings campaigns including the limited edition gold Woody (2006), Annabel (2007) & Maxwell (2008) pigs but nothing significant since the global financial crisis.  Do you think savings campaigns of this nature could be successful these days ? 
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Comments

  • MSE_Laura_F
    MSE_Laura_F Posts: 1,609 MSE Staff
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I've moved this to the Savings board.

    Great pic!
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 35,226 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Some of us will remember the NatWest pigs issued by the bank almost 40 years ago.  Probably one of the most successful bank savings campaigns which encouraged so many of us to save over a period of years in order that we might receive Woody, Annabel, Maxwell, Lady Hilary and Sir Nathaniel if we managed to save £100+.  NatWest have run similar savings campaigns including the limited edition gold Woody (2006), Annabel (2007) & Maxwell (2008) pigs but nothing significant since the global financial crisis.  Do you think savings campaigns of this nature could be successful these days ? 
    Personally I think that today's personal finance world is entirely different from that of forty years ago, with instantaneous access to online products and a wealth of comparative data available to identify best rates, service experiences, etc, so IMHO today's (adult) consumer is much less likely to be swayed by gimmicks and would simply prefer that financial institutions offer decent rates and customer services.

    I'd imagine that if NatWest (or any other bank) felt that it was worth doing, they'd have done so by now, but how would you define and measure the 'success' of such campaigns?
  • IanManc
    IanManc Posts: 2,324 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Principality Building Society Dylan Regular Saver Bond holders get a free Dylan the Dragon money box:

    Dylan Regular Saver Bond (principality.co.uk)

    three moneyboxes

    You have to be 17 or under to open one.
  • MovingForwards
    MovingForwards Posts: 17,132 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Sixth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    A few years ago I rescued a few pigs from a skip and they've sat proud on my shelf ever since.
    Mortgage started 2020, aiming to clear it in 2026.
  • A few years ago I rescued a few pigs from a skip and they've sat proud on my shelf ever since.
    Bargain !!!
  • Kat78MFW
    Kat78MFW Posts: 287 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Nottingham Building Society ran a similar scheme about 10 years ago when my children were small. The ceramic money boxes were Robin Hood (for opening the account), Friar Tuck (£500), Sheriff of Nottingham (£1000) and Maid Marian (£1500). My parents helped me save for all the Natwest piggies in the 1980s and did the same for my girls with this Nottingham scheme. The girls weren't all that interested though! 
    MFW since March 2019Mortgage-free 30th June 2023
    My Budget and Savings Diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6543308/making-a-budget-and-sticking-to-it#latest
  • zxspeccy said:

    I used to work for NatWest and a child would receive a Woody (the baby) piggy bank just for opening the account with us. When we stop the piggy accounts (I believe they were replaced the WWF World Saver coins) I was asked to get rid of a load of Woodys we had in storage as we would no longer be handing these out. A few of the staff took some home with them, but at least 50 that were mint in box were thrown away. Looking back I wish I had taken all them home with me, but was not sure how I was going to get them all home on the bus. Seems such a waste as we could have donated them to a school or something. However, I was presented with a Sir Nathanial piggy bank (a spare display module we had at the branch) back in the day (late 80’s), as I was the only one foolish enough to wear the Sir Nathaniel costume when we had promotional days. I would be in the banking hall, sporting my bow tie and suit, handing out balloons and stickers to the young (and not so young) children, which I believed was better that sitting behind a till all day long.

    Do you still have your Sir Nathaniel pig ?
  • noitsnotme
    noitsnotme Posts: 1,203 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    zxspeccy said:

    I used to work for NatWest and a child would receive a Woody (the baby) piggy bank just for opening the account with us. When we stop the piggy accounts (I believe they were replaced the WWF World Saver coins) I was asked to get rid of a load of Woodys we had in storage as we would no longer be handing these out. A few of the staff took some home with them, but at least 50 that were mint in box were thrown away. Looking back I wish I had taken all them home with me, but was not sure how I was going to get them all home on the bus. Seems such a waste as we could have donated them to a school or something. However, I was presented with a Sir Nathanial piggy bank (a spare display module we had at the branch) back in the day (late 80’s), as I was the only one foolish enough to wear the Sir Nathaniel costume when we had promotional days. I would be in the banking hall, sporting my bow tie and suit, handing out balloons and stickers to the young (and not so young) children, which I believed was better that sitting behind a till all day long.

    Ah, a kindred spirit.  I used to parade up and down the local high street in a Barclay Bill parrot costume handing out leaflets for childrens savings accounts.  I still have the money box version somewhere.


  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 8,658 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Kat78MFW said:
    Nottingham Building Society ran a similar scheme about 10 years ago when my children were small. The ceramic money boxes were Robin Hood (for opening the account), Friar Tuck (£500), Sheriff of Nottingham (£1000) and Maid Marian (£1500). My parents helped me save for all the Natwest piggies in the 1980s and did the same for my girls with this Nottingham scheme. The girls weren't all that interested though! 
    The Nottingham ones were (still) available in 2019. I have a feeling the Young Saver account was pulled around that time.
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