This Veterans Day, Veterans United Home Loans is Giving Away 11 Houses
New campaign celebrates Veterans’ legacy of service and how our communities are better #ThanksToVeterans.
(Columbia, MO. Nov. 11, 2021) – On Veterans Day, we celebrate the precious gift that Veterans have given to our country in service. But we don’t always recognize the value they give to our communities long after their military service is over — as business owners, coaches, teachers, farmers, and volunteers.
To honor this lifetime of dedication, Veterans United Home Loans is launching a new campaign, #ThanksToVeterans, developed to recognize both the legacy and continued service of Veterans in communities across the country. To celebrate, Veterans United is giving 11 homes to 11 Veterans, all paid in full and owned solely by these exceptional Veterans, unlocking the happiness and stability that comes with homeownership.
“This Veterans Day, we’re celebrating Veterans for their service to our nation and for their lifetime of service to their communities, families and fellow Veterans,” said Kris Farmer, an Army Veteran and chief marketing officer of Veterans United. “Our #ThanksToVeterans campaign highlights the countless ways Veterans continue to serve and make our communities better.”
Veterans United, joined by their agency of record, Performance Art New York, sought to reflect the critical role Veterans play in strengthening civic health, from volunteering and charitable giving to voting and community engagement. The result is a video series featuring Veterans navigating their journey to homeownership through a series of unscripted interviews in which they share their personal story of what “home” means.
The #ThanksToVeterans campaign shifts the traditional focus from military service to the role Veterans play in building stronger communities. Whether it’s Navy Veteran Regina teaching her children the importance of volunteering; Vietnam Veteran Jim helping to raise his grandson and instilling in him the importance of helping those in need; or Army Veteran Jonathon serving his small town in Wisconsin as the only police officer, the campaign portrays Veterans in a real and personal way.
The :60 spot with actor and Marine Corps Veteran Rob Riggle and four of the short documentaries were shot by Emmy award-winning director Floyd Russ. The remaining two documentaries were shot by the acclaimed young filmmaker Lance Oppenheim.
The campaign includes broadcast, digital, social and display with six long-form documentaries featured on a dedicated content hub, ThanksToVeterans.com. Additionally, Veterans United will surprise four more Veterans with real-time television reveals on ABCs Good Morning America, Live with Kelly & Ryan, The Tamron Hall Show and a national late-night talk show. The 11th home will be awarded via a Veterans-only online sweepstakes.
“Giving them a house is life changing for these Veterans, but simply treating it as a huge giveaway was missing an opportunity to say something important and overlooked about what Veterans give to their country,” said Colin Craig, ECD at Performance Art.
About Veterans United Home Loans
Based in Columbia, Missouri, the full-service national lender financed more than $25.8 billion in loans in 2020 and is the country’s largest VA purchase lender. The company’s mission is to help Veterans and service members utilize the home loan benefits earned by their service. The company’s employee-driven charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation, is committed to enhancing the lives of Veterans and military families nationwide by focusing on supporting military families and non-profit organizations that strengthen local communities. Veterans United Home Loans and its employees have donated more than $100 million to the foundation since its founding in November 2011.
About Performance Art
Performance Art is a full-service agency network that brings together deep data and technology expertise with highly-awarded leadership and creative talent. With a specialist approach focused on the individual, the agency leverages creative data, technology consulting and implementation, brand and media strategy, CRM, systems design and customer experience strategy to help brands make the highest performing work, in the most creative way. Performance Art is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). Learn more at and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook (@performanceart) and Instagram (@Performance.art.agency). performanceart.com
Credits:
Campaign Title: Thanks To Veterans
Client: Veterans United
CMO: Kris Farmer
VP Marketing Strategy: Mel Polsky
Director of Brand Implementation: Josie Zimmermann
Brand Agency Management Specialist: Haley Cape
Intern: Kylie Willet
VP Mortgage Insight; Director of Education: Chris Birk
VP Creative: David Hansen
Director of Marketing Insight: Genevieve Colman
Brand Strategy Specialist: Lauren Knudsen
UX Researcher: Erica Overfeldt
Creative Agency: Performance Art New York
Chief Executive Officer: Andrea Cook
Chief Creative Officer: Ian Mackenzie
Executive Creative Director: Colin Craig
SVP, Managing Director: Janet Thompson
SVP, Director of Business Affairs: Wilmien Blake
VP, Product: Bonnie Chung
VP, Strategy: Scott Suthren
VP, Group Account Director: Shalta Fardin
VP Account Director: Chelsea Nicholls
Creative Director: Trevor Gourley
Senior Art Director: Steve Ierullo
Senior Copywriter: Hemal Dhanjee
Copywriter: Steve Sloane
Art Director: Dick Chin
Program Manager: Kaylen Dillon
Project Manager: Sean Bryson
Producer: Adam Hughes
Producer: Joey Vaughan
Producer: Tricia Lapidario
Strategist: Gunel Sadigova
Technical Director: Quy Ngo
Media Agency: Assembly Media
Chief Content Officer: Shannon Pruitt
VP Client Service: Valarie McCubbins
Director: Kaitlyn Czajkowski
Associate Director: Shefali Mehta
Partnership Lead: Jennifer Han
Partnership Lead: Allison Doyle
Production Company: Tool
Spots: “Anthem”, “Jim”, “Regina”, “Daniel”, “Andre”
Director: Floyd Russ
DOP: David Volrath
Line Producer: Kelly Christensen
Executive Producer: Rob Sexton
Head of Production: Amy DeLossa
Production Company: M ss ng P eces
Spots: “Samuel”, “Jonathon”
Director: Lance Oppenheim
DOP: Matt Clegg
Line Producer: Brooke Gaston
Executive Producer: Kelly Martin
Head of Production: Rebecca Davis
Editorial House: Rock Paper Scissors
Editors: David Brodie, Louis-Phillipe Charette, Shelly Rose
Post Producer: Adam Parker
Head of Production: Jason Kumpata
Colorist: Mikey Rossiter
Audio House: Lime
Audio Engineer: Peter Lapinski
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Music Company: Future Perfect
Composers: John Connolly & Chris James
Producer: Maxwell Gosling & Nathalie Córdoba
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