ING Uni Case

(The Challenge) ING was losing Gen Z to neobanks like Revolut and Bunq, not because of inferior products, but because traditional banking felt irrelevant to a generation that grew up with playful, intuitive digital experiences. The brief: make ING matter to Gen Z without losing what made it trustworthy. (The Story) We started where every good strategy starts - with the people. Through interviews with Gen Z consumers and a full consumer persona built from the ground up, one insight kept coming back: nobody actually knows what to do with their money. Not in a "I have no money" way. In a "nobody ever taught me" way. That became our brief within the brief. Rather than refreshing ING's visual identity or launching a campaign, we redesigned the product itself. Adulting 101 is a new account type for 18–25 year olds that guides users through the real challenges of financial adulthood: saving, investing, budgeting. Backed by academic research on behavioural change, we landed on gamification as the mechanic - a Duolingo-style journey with weekly levels, monthly recaps and rewards from Gen Z-relevant brands like Swapfiets and KLM. (The Result) Won the working group competition against the other team. From there, an invitation to ING headquarters in Amsterdam with a proper stage, a real audience, the Head of Brand and multiple ING teams in the room. We presented, placed second, and watched another team's feature get built into the actual ING app. Close, but the kind of close that stings in a good way. (The Team) Eliud Torres Arenas, Vivian Tracy, Defne Türkeli, Iris Vasilakos, Amber de Winter, Daan Verhoeven & Jakob Thiessies