ING has taken a new step in its strategy to connect with Generation Z with the launch of the Leomichis, a limited edition of collectible keychains that materialize in the physical world Leonardo, the lion that the bank introduced on TikTok in 2023 as the axis of its communication with the youngest.

The initiative arises as the natural evolution of a brand strategy on social networks that ING awarded two years ago to the agency Fuego Camina Conmigo with the aim of gaining closeness and relevance among the youngest users, from the platform’s own codes.

Leonardo was then presented as a character conceived for entertainment, humor and interaction, moving away from the traditional tone of the financial sector. Since its launch, the lion has established itself as a recognizable asset within TikTok: according to data from the entity itself, one in two young people between 18 and 24 years old who have seen Leonardo content remember it, and its videos have led ING to position itself as the bank with the highest volume of interactions on the platform, exceeding 11 million complete views.

With Leomichis, ING transfers this digital recognition to the field of physical collecting, a code very present in Gen Z culture. The drop includes three models that reinterpret Leonardo based on different attitudes towards personal finances: Leo Ganga, associated with savings and comparison; Leo Bro, linked to the world of investment; and simply Leo, the classic version of the character.

The action arises as a response to the fans that Leonardo has gained over the last few years, and within the framework of the trend of “art toys”, such as Labubu or Sonny Angels, as explained to us by Carles Gómez, Creative Director at Fuego Camina Conmigo, in statements to reason.Why. “We have opted for the drop formula, which in the end is a way to be culturally relevant and that goes beyond the entertainment of TikTok“, he points out. “The good thing about Leonardo is that it is an idea that allows us to do many things, and this is a way to expand his universe, make it grow and make ING behave more like a creator than a brand.”.

The collection has been activated through a raffle on ING’s TikTok profile, between February 5 and 20, with 100 units distributed among participants. The chosen format is the Blind Box Experience, incorporating the usual surprise component in limited edition releases aimed at young audiences: the winners do not know which model they receive until they open the packaging.

Beyond the object itself, which are pocket keychains, the action reinforces a brand logic that ING has been working on since 2023: using social networks as a dissemination channel, but also as its own cultural space, with assets, characters and dynamics that evolve over time.

Leomichis functions, therefore, as a tangible extension of a social-first strategy that does not compete on price or financial product. What is pursued is cultural relevance and the ability to generate memory within a target that is historically distant from the banking sector.

The action has been developed again together with Fuego Camina Conmigo, the agency to which ING entrusted its communication strategy with Generation Z after a contest in which the bank explicitly sought new ways of connecting with this audience without breaking with its historical agency ecosystem.

With this launch, ING insists on an idea that runs through its entire recent strategy: speaking to young people from their own codes, even in a category as regulated and traditional as finance, implies taking creative risks, giving up having part of the control and understanding brand building as a medium-term process, not as an isolated campaign.