PNC Bank

Aug 2026

In a clever convergence of financial branding and retail whimsy, the Hoist This Cone campaign for PNC Bank reimagines the mundane commercial landscape through a lens of unexpected humor. This project cleverly utilizes a live-action technique to transform a standard food and beverage environment into a stage for brand identity, placing a signature PNC-branded orange traffic cone at the center of an ice cream dispensing sequence. The spot leans into a high-contrast visual narrative, where the sterile, metallic backdrop of a commercial food dispenser serves as the perfect foil for the soft, swirling textures of vanilla ice cream captured in slow motion. By integrating the bank's corporate color palette into a playful, CPG-focused context, the execution moves beyond traditional service marketing to capture genuine attention through pure, visual absurdity. The deliberate use of slow motion emphasizes the tactile quality of the soft serve, creating a rhythmic and satisfying viewing experience that feels both polished and intentionally quirky. This work demonstrates how a legacy brand can lean into unconventional creative choices to maintain relevance, proving that even a financial institution can make a memorable impression by simply leaning into the charm of a well-executed, humorous concept that feels entirely at home within the fast-paced world of contemporary advertising.

Humorous, Commercial

Live-action Technique, Slow motion

CPG / Packaged Food, Food & Beverage