Five Nigerian banks are currently enmeshed in a Twitter supremacy battle that social media platform users said has brought an interesting dimension to brand and advertising in the nation’s banking industry.
For more than 48 hours since Friday, at least five of the nation’s top banks have provided entertainment for many Nigerians on the platform in an entertaining battle now dubbed #BankWars.
The banks, which have been trolling one another, continue to throw up hilarious jibes on the social media platform. The various posts have since gone viral.
The entire drama began on Friday when Sterling Bank Plc tweeted a photo in which it subtly threw shades at four major commercial banks with hilarious graphic design and images. The tweet, which many users noted for its brilliance, quickly went viral within hours and generated reactions among users.
It read: “Shoot for the moon, become a star – it’s the least you deserve, Welcome to #SterlingBank.”
https://twitter.com/Sterling_Bankng/status/1020366168287309825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1020366168287309825&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fguardian.ng%2Flife%2Fnigeria-banks-at-war-on-twitter%2F
In the graphics accompanying the tweet, there were symbols tacitly depicting four other banks, namely: Access Bank, First Bank, GTB and Union Bank. The image painted a picture of Sterling Bank’s acclaimed advantage of providing customers with the best of service delivery and its potential to help them accomplish their desires.
It was not long before the four banks, except GTBank, started to respond with digs of their own.
We will travel on an imaginary rocket too, if we were a one-customer Microfinance Bank; but with ten million customers and counting, we rather bring the galaxy to you! #YouAreWorthIt #TakeTomorrow #KnowYourElders pic.twitter.com/pBGuW8JaLo
— Access Bank Plc (@myaccessbank) July 21, 2018
Access Bank’s reply has been liked and retweeted more than Sterling’s trigger tweet.
Union Bank followed suit quickly. It took the bank three tweets to hit the home run.
The last tweet, however, comes with a tone finality and with allusion to the beefs between Nas and Jay-Z (Ether) and Pusha T and Drake (Story of Adidion). And if you are familiar with hip-hop, you will know that ‘Ether’ by Nas and ‘Story of Adidion’ are among the top knock-them-dead diss tracks.
Heading to the moon without a spacesuit…journey mercies🚶🏾♂️🚶🏾♂️#simplersmarterSAFERbanking
— Union Bank of Nigeria (@UNIONBANK_NG) July 21, 2018
When the elders speak… #SimplerSmarterSAFERBank pic.twitter.com/xCgYbcniDm
— Union Bank of Nigeria (@UNIONBANK_NG) July 21, 2018
There's no coming back after "Ether" or "Story of Adidon"…settle down now, take a deep breath. Back to counting this Naira, Dollars and Pounds… #SimplerSmarterSAFERBank pic.twitter.com/LGSRSsOPtw
— Union Bank of Nigeria (@UNIONBANK_NG) July 21, 2018
The oldest bank among the lot also fired its own two-tweet salvo.
What an elder sees while sitting, a child cannot see even if he travels to the moon. #RespectYourElders #YouFirst
— FirstBank Nigeria (@FirstBankngr) July 21, 2018
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— FirstBank Nigeria (@FirstBankngr) July 21, 2018
Guaranty Trust Bank has refused to be drawn into the catfight. Silence is golden?
[…] Here is the previous response from different banks #BankWars: Access, Sterling, other banks in entertaining ‘supremacy battle’ […]