Halifax staff band together for TV ad

The UK’s biggest mortgage lender Halifax launched a Pop Idol-style competition to find two bands for its latest advert, it emerged today.

More than 1,600 of the group’s 60,000 staff auditioned for a part in the Bollywood-themed advert, and eight winners were selected by Capital Radio DJ and Pop Idol judge Neil Fox and the star of previous Halifax commercials Howard Brown.

The advert, which will be shown on ITV for the first time at 9.15pm tonight after being aired on some cable channels earlier today, features boy and girl bands singing and dancing in front of Indian temples, gardens and fountains.

It was shot in India by director Tarsem who has previously directed adverts for Pepsi and Levi’s.

The bank, which is part of the HBOS group, has used its own employees in its nine previous adverts.

Tim Male, head of advertising and media at HBOS, said: “The introduction of a band seemed to be the logical extension to the campaign. We’ve had solos, duets, animation and now we have two bands.”