CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » Billboard message transcends COVID-19 to racism
Leadership Marketing

Billboard message transcends COVID-19 to racism

Graffiti artist alters UW Credit Union advertisement in wake of George Floyd murder.

June 10, 2020
Jennifer Plager
One Comment
2020-06-117952
A UW Credit Union billboard promoting togetherness during the coronavirus has turned into a conversation starter about racism and social justice.

A can of spray paint turned a UW Credit Union billboard promoting togetherness during a public health crisis into a conversation starter about racism and social justice.

In March, UW Credit Union in Madison, Wis., deployed a billboard with the message, “Even when we’re apart, we stand together,” to support the community during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The billboard was due to be replaced last week, but when crews went to remove it, they found a graffiti artist had spray painted “George Floyd” over the bottom third of the billboard.

“I didn’t immediately see the vandalism or graffiti. I was just struck by how the graffiti artists chose the message and added George Floyd to it,” says Anne Norman, chief marketing officer at the $3.3 billion asset credit union. “And then it transcended the COVID-19 pandemic to the current conversation about racism and social justice.”

Protests and conversations about racism and social justice have flooded the country in the wake of the murder of George Floyd on May 25. Norman learned about the billboard in an email from the outdoor advertising company.

“I would describe what happened as a moment of hurt and gut reaction,” she says. “In business we use our head to have strategic business discussions and make decisions. This one came from the heart.”

Norman immediately thought the billboard should be reinstalled, but she worried it could be misconstrued as a public relations stunt. She reached out to trusted colleagues to discuss the issue and all agreed: The billboard should be redisplayed.

Anne Norman

‘In business we use our head to have strategic business discussions and make decisions. This one came from the heart.’

Anne Norman

They also agreed it shouldn’t be put in the same spot. Working with Adams Outdoor Advertising, Norman and her team redeployed the billboard to one of the most visible locations in Madison, where it will remain for the next month.

“I knew this billboard could have an impact. People are talking and that’s the whole point,” Norman says. “If we sit around in silence, this huge systemic issue of racism is going to persist. I know I have to find my voice, but it feels pretty good to be talking about it now.”

Looking back, Norman says she could have deleted the email after reading it, or the message could have been lost in the shuffle.

“But I opened it and had that sort of heart and gut reaction to it,” she says. “Now, seeing this impact, there’s something about that pandemic message that was already out there. It feels a little like the universe coming together and that it was meant to be.”

KEYWORDS coronavirus DEI

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • House passes CUNA, League-led board modernization bill

  • CFPB issues CUNA-opposed proposal on credit card late fees

  • Key committee leaders supportive of credit union priorities

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Vote for the 2023 CU Hero of the Year

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us