LONDON — NatWest Group has hired Taylor Herring on a retained basis to handle consumer communications campaigns, after a competitive pitch.

The banking group – the largest business and commercial bank in the UK, with brands including NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts – has briefed the agency to deliver a raft of projects to drive awareness for key initiatives spanning brand, commercial and retail. The appointment comes as NatWest, one of the principal partners of the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), accelerates its efforts in tackling climate change.

NatWest’s director of communications for retail and commercial banking, Chris Turner, said: “It's great to have Taylor Herring on board and we look forward to working with the team to deliver a fresh and creative approach to our campaigns and focus on supporting customers and communities, helping them to thrive.”

It is the first big financial industry retainer for Taylor Herring, which has previously worked with Tandem Bank and on projects for Santander. The agency’s managing partner and CCO Peter Mountstevens said: “We have had a long-held ambition to add a leading bank to our portfolio and NatWest provided the perfect fit for us. We look forward to supporting the bank’s growth with consumer comms campaigns designed to drive advocacy and growth.”

The account will be led at Taylor Herring by senior account director Claire Howes. In April, Taylor Herring became part of the Publicis network and joined the group’s UK influence practice, alongside MSL and ESG specialist Salter Baxter.