community · finance2023community storytelling series

Peoples Bank

A community storytelling series for Peoples Bank in Chariton, Iowa. Rather than a traditional marketing push, we took a storytelling approach — focused on people, legacy, and the fabric of the town itself.

Reynolds Field, home of the Chariton Chargers — featured location in the Bobby documentary

Peoples Bank was expanding into a new market and needed to introduce itself as community-first — without slipping into the financial-services defaults of stock smiles and corporate pleasantries. The brief was to build awareness and trust through real human narratives, treating the town's own story as the asset.

Role
Creative direction · documentary filmmaking · series production
Scope
Three-part documentary series, leadership film, character profiles
Year
2023
Sector
Community banking · Chariton, Iowa

approach

Find the people. Let the place do the rest.

Documentary, not advertising. The strategy centered on real stories from inside the bank's community — leaders, branch staff, and figures whose lives intersected with the bank in honest ways. Each film was structured to stand on its own and earn its place inside a series with shared visual language and pacing.

film 01

Bobby

A short documentary built around coach Bob Cain — a Chariton figure whose decades of mentorship reshaped a town. Released to build awareness and excitement for the bank's new Chariton branch, the film positioned Peoples Bank as a community supporter through a story that lives well beyond financial services.

Bobby · Feature Film

Bobby · Film Trailer

Bobby · Film Stills

Reynolds Field — home of the Chariton Chargers Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still Bobby film still

behind the work

From brief to body of work.

Bobby began as a creative brief — a central question about legacy and a clear position on how the story should be told. The deck below is the working document we built around before a single frame was shot.

Bobby · Creative Brief

Bobby creative brief — central question Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide Bobby creative brief slide

films 02 · 03

The people inside the bank.

People of Peoples Bank — three short films profiling branch leaders Wes, Jodi, and Karen. Character-driven, candid, framed for editorial weight.

People Behind the Good — a leadership film featuring the President and CEO's vision and the organizational culture underneath it.

Interview & Portrait Stills

Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait Peoples Bank interview portrait

audience response

A bank introduced through its people.

When Bobby went live, the comment thread did the work no campaign metric could. Below is the actual response — a snapshot of the community reflecting back on Coach Cain.

Facebook comments on the Bobby film from the Chariton community

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