One of Liberty Bank's Connecticut branches appears in this 2019 file photo. Photo courtesy of Liberty Bank

Two banks took home extra honors from the New England Financial Marketing Association spring conference last month. 

Middletown-based Liberty Bank and Cambridge, Massachusetts-based East Cambridge Savings Bank both won two gold awards, more than any other financial institution this year, at the conference held in Mystic, Connecticut May 9-10. The NEFMA awards showcase the best in marketing efforts from the region’s financial industry. 

The $7.67 billion-asset Liberty Bank won gold awards for the best 2023 integrated marketing campaign and best 2023 website design, in partnership with Boston advertising agency Connelly Partners LLC. The $1.59 billion-asset ECSB won gold awards for the best 2023 digital marketing campaign and the best 2023 print marketing campaign. 

Joanne Aliber, ECSB’s senior vice president and director of marketing and strategy, said in a statement that the bank’s wins were a credit to its entire marketing team and the staff at Worcester, Massachusetts agency Davis Advertising, who created the award-winning ads.  

“Our marketing campaigns are truly a team effort; many of them have as many as 15 different types of assets, including flyers, posters, digital ads, print ads, and events, all of which require the entire team (both ECSB and Davis) to work together to launch everything on time. It’s especially rewarding when our hard work and results are recognized by our industry peers in marketing, banking, and advertising,” Aliber said. 

This marks the third year in a row that ECSB has won NEFMA awards for its marketing campaigns. The bank’s 2022 “Debit Card for Teens” campaign received a gold award for best 2022 digital marketing campaign. ECSB also received two honorable mentions in the Ragan’s PR Daily awards for its 2021 “Benefits of a Mutual Bank” campaign in both the corporate communication and the integrated public relations and marketing categories. 

“So proud of the work we’re doing with our agency Connelly Partners bringing our brand to life. We are honored and delighted to win these awards; and appreciate NEFMA’s support for financial marketers,” Liberty Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer Audra Hamel, said in a statement. 

Liberty also took home a bronze award for broadcast TV marketing.