Recently, we let you know about a new account win for The Cyphers Agency: Severn Savings Bank.

In order to meet 2010 benchmarks, Severn Savings Bank is looking to increase their loan portfolio and number of deposits over the next 9 months. After listening to their needs, accompanied by in depth market and local research, The Cyphers Agency will conduct 2 separate advertising campaigns. Each will attract different consumer bases: individuals 45-60 and individuals 25-44.

Overall, we look to position Severn Savings Bank as a local financial institution that offers peace of mind for those looking for a smarter banking relationships. Through a complete brand development campaign, the tag line,”It’s Safe Here” helps address consumer fears about making poor banking choices, while the tag line “Toobigaphobia: Fear of Big Banks” with accompanying imagery speaks directly to that fear.

To break it down further, we will approach our audiences with two different ad messages. Our first audience, which is comprised of individuals 45-60, need a local bank that they can trust: personal attention and a true relationship with their relationship manager. “Think of it as a Financial Kinship,” if you will.

The second audience, individuals 25-44 are looking for something a little different. They require a local bank with real people, but they need more than that. Since this audience is always “on-the-go” and quite tech saavy, they search for accessibility and online convenience in a financial relationship. They need “Online Banking with a Pulse.

The Cyphers Agency would like to announce that we have won two new accounts: Severn Savings Bank and River Glass Designs.

Severn Savings Bank is a local financial institution in Anne Arundel County with a mission to enhance the community by investing in the climate, culture, commerce and people of the Chesapeake region. As Agency of Record for Severn, we will be supporting their 2010 marketing plan, including a new brand launch. Look forward to a fully integrated campaign coming your way.

River Glass Designs, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, is a glass company that specializes in custom glass structures, like showers, mirrors, staircases, etc., for  home builds and remodels. As their Agency of Record, we will be executing brand development and applying that to a new website, collateral, and more.

We’ll keep you updated as we dive into some great creative and strategic work. Check back for news soon!

The Cyphers Agency is proud to announce an important addition to our team! Jocelyn Rimbey has been working as an intern in our Word of Mouth (WOM) department for over six months, and has been instrumental in our success. We decided she was too good to just be an intern, so we’ve hired her full time! Her official title is now “Word of Mouth Coordinator.”

Jocelyn went to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio (not to be confused with Ohio State University). She majored in Creative Advertising and Branding, with a focus in Marketing. She loves accents, bows, French hats (see below) and coffee. Among her many WOM talents, she’s  especially good at writing blog posts.

As a Word of Mouth Coordinator, Jocelyn will be responsible for spreading the word about our clients. This can involve developing blogger relationships, posting on online forums, managing ambassador programs, guerilla marketing, running flashmobs, or any other creative ideas we come up with. We are constantly impressed with her writing, creative thinking, proactive attitude, and eagerness to learn.

Congratulations Jocelyn, we’re glad to have you!

Here are a couple of pictures of Jocelyn so you all can get acquainted:

Bonjour, dear ad friends. Sorry that we have been away for a while. We have been quite busy with client work, which we are very okay with!

We just wanted to give you the heads up that you can check in on us anytime you want. You can see what we are working on, what secret talents our employees have, and what your account executive looks like, if you are trying to put a face to the name you speak with on the phone all the time (or if you just want to be creepy). It is all here on our blog and in our Flickr photo stream. So feel free to check up on us every now and then. We don’t mind. Spy away!

Today just so happens to be The Cyphers Agency’s twentieth year in the biz. Over those 20 years, we have grown and changed, both figuratively and literally. So to celebrate, we are enjoying some old stories and cupcakes!

Here are some stories that have been bouncing around:

“…I remember that year when we swiped that rock star creative guy from the agency downtown and Bob our HR guy acted like we were going to get some old Sicilian message (e.g. fish wrapped in newspaper) sent to our office”

“…I remember when one dude accidentally cut his head and we found out that another employee got queasy at the sight of blood and he hid out in the bathroom until all evidence of the accident was cleaned up”

“…I remember when Julianna told a media rep that she loved them at the end of a business voicemail. ‘I love you. No, wait, I don’t love you. I don’t know why I just said that’. Now THAT was a priceless moment”

“…I’ll never forget many years ago, our first major agency review. We were up against several of the big names in Baltimore and DC and we rocked the pitch. It was then I knew we had arrived!”

Needless to say, we are a very unique crew here at The Cyphers Agency, and I mean that in the most loving way. Sometimes, it can get a little crazy around here and strange things happen. We roll around on a scooter to get from department to department, and we have yoga balls in our office that are used more for throwing and bouncing than exercise. We play music and eat chocolate (a lot, in the WOM department). But mostly, we simply love what we do, and we look forward to doing it for another 20 years.