Eastern Bank Teamwork

Watch Eastern Bank’s new TV commercial, which features Everett and Lynn English high schools:

Eastern Bank launches new “Teamwork” marketing campaign

Football theme illustrates teamwork’s value to Eastern Bank’s customers 

BOSTON, Sept. 14, 2009 – Eastern Bank unveiled a new marketing campaign aimed at increasing brand awareness and differentiating itself from competitors by illustrating the importance of teamwork and how it benefits its customers, the bank announced today.

The “Teamwork” campaign references Eastern Bank’s abilities to meet the varied needs of its customers through an array of banking, investment and insurance services.  “Teamwork” also references the approach its employees take when working with customers.

“We at Eastern Bank believe there are things we can accomplish together that our customers could never do alone,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and chief executive officer of Eastern Bank.  “That really summarizes the message behind the campaign, which is completely consistent with our approach to providing superior customer service and expertise.”

Eastern Bank is using a football theme to illustrate the importance of teamwork in a 12-week marketing campaign that will feature a television commercial, radio commercials, highway billboards, online advertising and newspaper ads.  The football theme will also be carried in posters throughout Eastern Bank’s more than 80 branch locations.  The campaign was developed with the bank’s advertising agency, Conover Tuttle Pace of Boston.

In addition, the bank leveraged social media in its campaign, establishing Facebook and YouTube pages, and an online blog (www.easternbank.com/teamwork) that hosted a multimedia contest among high school football teams to be featured in its next television commercial. It also promoted the campaign using LinkedIn, a popular social networking site for professionals.

The 30-second television ad features Everett High School, which won the contest to appear in the commercial.  The commercial was unveiled this morning to more than 1,000 Everett High students and faculty, many of whom appear in the spot.  During the presentation, Holbrook was joined on stage by former New England Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown, whose career was defined by his willingness to do whatever the team needed.  The commercial will air publicly tonight during the Buffalo-New England football game and will appear on all local TV stations during the campaign.

All other advertising will be unveiled over the next two weeks, as Eastern Bank launches its most aggressive marketing campaign in three years. In addition to building brand awareness and winning new customers, the campaign seeks to affirm the decision of the 400,000 people and businesses across Massachusetts who already do business with the bank, its wealth management division or its insurance agency, Natick-based Eastern Insurance.

“In these times, people and businesses need reassurance that there is a local financial services company that has the capacity and desire to meet all of their financial service needs,” Holbrook said.  “Over the past year, we’ve been steadily gaining new customers.  We hope this campaign will accelerate that growth.”

About Eastern Bank

Founded in 1818 and based in Boston, Eastern Bank is the largest independent and mutually owned bank in New England, with almost $7.0 billion in assets and more than 80 branches serving communities from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod.  Eastern Bank offers banking, investments and insurance all under one roof, and prides itself on working harder to understand its customers’ needs so it can deliver these services in a committed and personal way.  Eastern Bank includes Eastern Wealth Management, Eastern Insurance and Fantini & Gorga, a real estate advisory firm. For more information, visit www.easternbank.com.

Runner-ups Lynn English and Middleboro high schools to appear in posters

BOSTON, Aug. 20, 2009 – Everett High School’s football team has thrived on the field for generations, but now that success will be carried over to television after the team won the opportunity to appear in Eastern Bank’s next TV commercial, the bank announced today.

 
In addition to a little more fame, the school’s athletics department will receive $5,000 for winning the contest, which generated entries from more than two dozen high schools across eastern Massachusetts.

 
Everett was one of five finalists selected last week. Each finalist underwent site visits by Eastern Bank marketing officers or representatives of its advertising agency and production company. In the end, the competition was so close that the bank awarded two runner-up prizes to Lynn English and Middleboro high schools, whose football teams will be featured in posters in more than 80 branch locations.

 
Lynn English will also appear briefly in the TV commercial, because it will be filmed playing Everett in a scrimmage. Lynn English will be awarded $2,500, while Middleboro will receive $2,000. The other two finalists, Tewksbury and Hull high schools, earned $1,000 for their athletics departments.

 
The contest, which ran from July 24 to Aug. 7, asked entrants to answer the question: What makes your team special? Everett’s video entry featured its football players talking about the importance of teamwork, tradition and pride. The team showcased highlights and special moments in Everett’s football history, which dates back to the late 1800s.

 
“Eastern Bank congratulates Everett High School and every school that entered our contest,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank. “After reviewing responses to our question, it became clear to our review committee that each team was special in its own way, so we decided it was appropriate to acknowledge everybody’s efforts.

 
“As a result, I am happy to announce that we will award more than $20,000 to high school athletics departments in eastern Massachusetts,” added Holbrook.

 
The bank announced last week that it decided to reward each qualified, non-finalist entrant with a $500 prize. In order to qualify, applicants needed to answer the question in the form of videos, essays or photos. Most of the entries can be viewed at www.easternbank.com/teamwork and the public is encouraged to follow future updates on Facebook (search “Eastern Bank”).

 
The commercial, scheduled to launch in mid September, will be part of a broader advertising campaign to illustrate the value Eastern Bank’s team of banking, investment and insurance professionals brings to its customers.

About Eastern Bank
Founded in 1818 and based in Boston, Eastern Bank is the largest independent and mutually owned bank in New England, with almost $7.0 billion in assets and more than 80 branches serving communities from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod. Eastern Bank offers banking, investments and insurance all under one roof, and prides itself on working harder to understand its customers’ needs so it can deliver these services in a committed and personal way. Eastern Bank includes Eastern Wealth Management, Eastern Insurance and Fantini & Gorga, a real estate advisory firm. For more information, visit www.easternbank.com.

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Everett, Hull, Lynn English, Middleboro, and Tewksbury high schools vying for $5,000 prize

BOSTON, Aug. 12, 2009 – Five high schools and their football teams are finalists in the competition to be featured in the next Eastern Bank television commercial, the bank announced today.

 
More than two dozen schools applied for the opportunity, which will bring attention to the school and its football team, and a $5,000 grand prize for the winner’s athletics department. The deadline for submitting an application was August 7.

 
“I want to congratulate every school official, parent, fan and student-athlete who spent their valuable time to work together as a team to produce compelling essays and creative videos that amazed our review committee,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank.

 
The finalists – Everett, Hull, Lynn English, Middleboro and Tewksbury high schools – will at least receive a $1,000 prize for being named a finalist. Moreover, the bank announced that each qualified contest entrant will receive $500 for its athletics department.

 
“We were so impressed – and in some cases awed – by the time and effort that went into these applications, that we decided each qualified applicant should receive $500 and we should increase the finalists’ prize from $500 to $1,000,” said Joe Bartolotta, Eastern Bank’s marketing director. “There was very little separating the top five from the next five. It was that close.”

 
In order to qualify, applicants needed to answer the question: “What makes your team special?” in the form of videos, essays or photos. Most of the entries can be viewed at www.easternbank.com/teamwork and the public is encouraged to follow future contest developments on Facebook (search “Eastern Bank”).

 
Eastern Bank marketing executives, along with the help of its advertising agency, Conover Tuttle Pace of Boston, and the production company, Picture Park of Boston, began reviewing the entries over the weekend and finished selecting finalists yesterday. Each applicant was judged on its answer to the question along with other considerations, including enthusiasm and creativity.

 
“Initially, we thought the need for financial support would be a key factor, but it became clear quickly that all of the schools could use the money,” Bartolotta said. “That was another reason we decided to increase the prize money. In all, we’re going to award almost $20,000 in prize money to high school athletics departments around eastern Massachusetts.”

 
Interviews are now underway with the five finalist schools. The winning team will be selected in the coming weeks, with production of the television commercial scheduled for the end of August. The commercial is scheduled to launch in mid September.

 
The commercial will be part of a broader advertising campaign to illustrate the value Eastern Bank’s team of banking, investment and insurance professionals brings to its customers.

About Eastern Bank
Founded in 1818 and based in Boston, Eastern Bank is the largest independent and mutually owned bank in New England, with almost $7.0 billion in assets and more than 80 branches serving communities from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod. Eastern Bank offers banking, investments and insurance all under one roof, and prides itself on working harder to understand its customers’ needs so it can deliver these services in a committed and personal way. Eastern Bank’s subsidiaries include Eastern Wealth Management, Eastern Insurance and Fantini & Gorga, a real estate advisory firm. For more information, visit www.easternbank.com.

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We received entries from Peabody (essay, photo) and Winthrop (essay) late in the process.

Both submissions are being reviewed with our other applicants.

Below is Peabody’s team photo:

Hull submitted an essay:

What makes the Hull High Football team so special?

When considering this question the first thing that came to my mind was our community. We are a group of young men who have known and played on the field with each other since the age of seven and eight. Some of us joined later in our childhood but nonetheless became comrades on and off the field.
When you live in a small tight knit town like Hull your family extends to beyond those who live with you and love you. We have the extreme privilege to grow up in a place where family includes your neighbors, your coaches, your friend’s families, your educators and just about anyone who you come in contact with on your journey here. The Hull community as whole comes together to support each other in a way that many find hard to comprehend.
This past spring we had an override vote that many voters in town couldn’t financially afford to pass, which we understand, but in the wake of that decision our high school athletic budget has been cut completely. There is no money for sports period. Although our “ town family” couldn’t put the money back into our sports program, they have committed themselves to supporting us in a different way. After all, what would people do without freezing Hull Gut football games and clam chowder from the snack shack on a Friday night?
Like many other towns in the country, Hull is facing a huge financial burden right now. Budget cuts have affected all areas of our community but of course, as athletes it hits us on our fields the hardest. We have our beautiful beach and parks but for many of us it’s the ball fields and basketball courts in town where we find our outlet and ultimately spend the majority of our youth; many with hopes of being able to play as a Hull Pirate one day.
We won’t accept the fact that all the years of bonding together, either while running wind sprints up Coast Guard Hill during captains practice or spending summers in the gym, was for nothing. I can’t help but think how the youth football players will feel when there is no combined practice with their older high school counterparts. We all look forward to participating in this event each year and I remember when I was a young player and those high school kids looked so huge to me, I couldn’t believe that would be me someday and now it is.
We have taken our pride and our commitment and as a team we have hit the streets and we will not give up until every fundraising effort has been exhausted. We will enter contests to try and win money for our program, we will pay to play like many towns have already started doing, but still there’s more to be done. This is a huge undertaking and our football team has rallied and become even closer in the fear that last season could have been just that, our last. An example of this is that for a few days this summer we have swallowed our all too big Hull pride, and spent our weekends outside one of our biggest rival’s supermarket looking for donations. We were pleasantly surprised to find that although on the football field it can get quite heated for players and fans alike, we were greeted with respect and concern for our program. Only once were we asked “Why should I donate to your program we’re your rivals?” It was my quick thinking younger brother who answered “Have fun playing Thanksgiving with out us there.” The gentleman smiled and made a nice contribution to our cause.
Playing football is what we love to do and have spent years preparing to play. As a senior and captain I can’t let myself think about what would happen if we can’t raise the money but I also fear for my teammates who have this struggle to endure for years to come.
In closing I have to acknowledge the tireless commitment of our boosters club and community in their efforts to see our dreams fulfilled. There has been a tremendous amount of time and energy spent to see that we raise this money in time but unfortunately, time goes by all too quickly. If we were to make it to your final selection and you got to meet some of us Hull Pirates I am sure you too will recognize the bonding and support that shows through all of us as members of a wonderful community like Hull. Go Team Hull!!!

Written by Hull High School Senior Football Captain Daniel Shea

Middleboro submitted an essay and video (audio disabled on video due to music copyright issue):

What Makes Our Team Special?

When we sat down and asked ourselves, what makes our team special the response was unanimous. We are a team who has become a family.

This year we were thrown so many road blocks and hurdles to overcome in order to be able to have a football team this year, that we decided to stop complaining and move towards our goal of bringing back pride to the Middleboro High School Football Team. In case you aren’t aware Middleboro has not had a winning team in 19 years, and we were determined to work hard to change this.

In the past many players looked for that individual spotlight, but we began to focus on the team as a whole and realized that not being a team player could be that important something that got lost for all those years.

We want to try and give you a little background as to what makes our team special, and what we mean by hurdles.

We recently went from the Independent Division which is considered a rebuilding league to the Patriot Division consisting of many well developed champion teams. Now add to that a huge program cut, a new head coach, and new assistant coach.

We recently lost our Middle School Sports along with our Freshmen sports. We weren’t sure if we were even going to have enough players for a team. Our captains decided to take a visit to the Middle School and talk to the upcoming freshmen in hopes of recruiting players. We found many of the students would have played football if there was a freshmen team but they lacked the confidence to play with the older athletes. We decided to bring a few videos of our previous year and tried focusing on the fun we had at our team breakfasts and suppers. We finally convinced enough of them to at least give it a try.

Coach Shea had us basically practicing as one group rather than separating into freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. By doing this it made underclassmen realize that age was just a number, before we knew it we were forming a bond, it was like a brotherhood.

The older players took it upon themselves to stay after practice and work with the newcomers. We found the bond between us not only took place on the field but off the field as well. The juniors and seniors were determined this was going to be a great year and had the underclassmen convinced of the same.

While most of the other schools were deciding who to cut from their team, we finally overcame hurdle #1 – WE HAD ENOUGH FOR A TEAM!!!

Moving on to hurdle #2. We were asked to attend a meeting with parents, coaches from all sports and members of our school committee. They informed us of their decision that there would be no more individual fundraising, and it was up to us to put together one group in which the money would be distributed to all sports.

Needless to say our team left there really angry as we felt why should we be punished. We were pretty well set with our fundraising due the support of the Gridiron Club, and the football parents, but more important how were we going to keep our promise to the underclassmen. We promised how much fun they would have at our breakfasts and suppers.

We all grumbled amongst ourselves about how unfair it was and why should we have to help baseball, basketball, track, swimming, wrestling, cheerleading and all the other sports. Budget cuts meant nothing to us we just wanted to play football and have some fun. We talked to our parents and coaches and with their help along with the cheerleaders and members of our community, they donated food and time to help us keep our promise to the underclassmen and continue this tradition of sitting down as a team before the game. It may have seemed foolish to others but for us it was one more way of bringing us closer together as a team while we set up tables, ate, cleaned up and focused on our game plan for the day.

Hurdle #2 – Solved – and once again we proved how special we can be if we work together. By the way the organization is now called MASBA which stands for Middleboro All Sports Booster Association. Along with this group came the support of other sports teams supporting us at our games in hopes of bringing home a championship. One player said it best, “I guess that old saying , All for one and one for all is true.”

Now the real test. Time to put together a winning team. With a new coach none of us knew what to expect. Not having many experienced, confident players, due to some graduating and others who decided they were tired of playing for a losing team, made the rest of us want to prove even more what we could do. For some of us it’s our last year or two and we really wanted to bring back some respect to our High School Football.

We were so use to competing against towns that had beautiful turf fields to play on as well as large weight rooms with state of the art equipment that we began complaining and blaming our losses on what we didn’t have. We were always saying how lucky those schools were and how are we suppose to have a good team without all those things. They had everything, we had nothing.

This is when Coach Shea made us realize that although having all of those things is important and can definitely help us, it doesn’t make us a winning team. We found ways to work around obstacles by sharing. We have very little equipment, a weight room that consists of a small area behind our gym bleaches which can only be used as long as there isn’t a need to extend the bleachers, and uniforms that barely fit our players. With the coaches’ help we began to divide our team taking turns conditioning in the weight room while the rest of the team worked with newer members on plays, it was becoming amazing how these obstacles brought us closer together as a team. We worked hard, learned to compensate for what we didn’t have and were more determined than ever.

Who would have thought that hurdle #3 would have united us even more.

We started out with a small expectation of proving to other schools that Middleboro is a football team to reckon with and with the support of our families, coaches, cheerleaders, band and other school athletes we ended up taking it further than we could have imagined, to Co-Champs of our division.! (It was a long 19 years) We finally placed a long awaited banner in our gym, and learned that as a team we can do anything.

We wanted to end by letting you read a few quotes of some of our players when asked the question, What Makes Our Team Special? Here they are.

“On and off the field we are family, everyone does their part to make sure the team gets better”

“If there is a problem on or off the field we will face it and overcome it”

“In school we are all individual students, but as soon as we step on the field we are 1 team committed to each other and our coaches.”

“We see our parents work together and continue to help us”

“Putting up a football banner after so many years”

“Even though we don’t have a fancy weight room we are still committed to working hard with what we have to make us a better team”

“Work – Win – Pride”

“Strong – United -Determined”

We hope you will follow our season to see just how special Middleboro High Football Team is !!!

Randolph submitted an essay:

What makes our team special?

Randolph High School football does not boast about winning championships or league titles anymore, but rather the ability to have a very diverse group of young men working together for a common goal. That is what makes us special. Randolph High School football is the common man. That person that wakes each morning with numerous responsibilities, lots to accomplish and very little time to do so. Our players not only work hard on the field, but they carry many responsibilities as well each day. They rely on each other, they need help from each other and they give help to teammates. Without teamwork they fail, but with efforts from each and every player and our coaches they can compete and experience high school football to its fullest.

When game night arrives our team eats their pre-game meal together, but unlike many teams, our players eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Not because they have not been offered pasta, but because this is what they do and enjoy. Randolph High School football is a reflection of the common man and there is nothing wrong with that. We have players who leave practice to go work so they can help out their families at home. We have players who after leaving practice need to work with their younger siblings as they do their homework because they are the only ones in their household who speak English. We have players who are honor students. We have players who struggle to stay a part of our program. They are one team with many different colors, nationalities, economic and social differences, but when they strap their pads on they play together and they have no differences. They look to each for help, they stand up for each other when needed and they play hard together win or lose until the final whistle blows.

Should Randolph High School be fortunate enough to be selected to interview for this commercial I can assure you these young men will impress you and inspire you as much as they have me. We do not want pity, but rather people to realize that our football team is comprised of not only tremendous football players, but also football players that have a multitude of outside responsibilities just like the common man.

Beverly submitted an essay:

What Makes The Beverly Football Panthers A Special Team?

We are committed to doing our best at all times –

Classroom – we are positive role models in our school
o Many members of the football team are on the Honor Roll each quarter

o Our players graduate and go on to great opportunities based upon their work at Beverly High School

Community Service – we give back to Beverly
o Volunteer for citywide electronics collection each year and Beverly First Night

o Work volunteer to help the Beverly youth football camps and Youth Football Coaches Clinic – provide leadership and work with the youth in Beverly. Mentoring, positive attitude and work ethic are promoted by our players.

Involved in our School – we work to make Beverly High School the best it can be
o We have players in involved with our Leadership Council, Principal’s Site Council and Football Leadership Council

o Most of our football players participate in other sports – baseball, basketball, wrestling, track and lacrosse. These sports were successful this past year with many of our football players involved in prominent roles.

Dedicated in preparation for football season each year – we demonstrate a solid work ethic
o Attend Holy Cross Football Camp & Compete in North Shore 7 on 7 League

o Strength and Conditioning program – 3 times a week during the summer

Respect our deep football tradition in Beverly – Beverly Pride runs deep in our community
o Beverly first fielded a football team in 1891 and has competed in over 1000 games

o Play on Thanksgiving in one of the oldest rivalries in the state – vs. Salem High School
110 years of the rivalry

Honor
o We dedicated our Saugus game this year in the memory of Sgt. Stephen Fortunato of Beverly who lost his life in Afghanistan while serving his country. We presented the game ball to his family and wore a sticker on our helmet with the initials S.F. to recognize his honor.

o We will dedicate the 2009 season in the memory of Coach Roy Norden. He was a Hall of Fame coach who was successful on and off the field.

A Beverly Football player knows the value of teamwork and this carries over to all we do. We strive to do our best – be ready to play when called upon and be a positive citizen. We take pride in the fact that we will come together and compete. Every time we wear the Black and Orange – we want those who played before us to be proud of what we do!

BB&N submitted an essay and link to a video:

Complete roster and video available at: www.bbnfootball.com

What makes the BB&N Knights Football Team Special?

BB&N is a small coed school in Cambridge. Students come from all over the greater Boston area. The football team here has in recent years become one of the premier high school football teams in the state because the team members have adopted a “teamwork culture” in which everyone tries their hardest to make the team the best it can be. Last season the team went undefeated. The year before, the team had one loss. The results on the field speak for themselves.

Last year’s team was led by quarterback Mike DiChara who led the state in touchdown passes. (Mike is going to play at Cornell University this year.) The special teams unit was led by place kicker Philippe Panico who set a high school record with a 61 yard field goal. (Philippe will kick for Yale this season.)

Off the field, the football team epitomizes the term “student athletes.” The average GPA for a senior player is 3.6. The average SAT score: 2050. Every season more than a handful of players from BB&N will go on to play college football, many at the Division I level. This year, two players have already received offers from Division I schools.

The BB&N team is like Eastern Bank for all of the right reasons: although the school is small they can compete with the giants like Everett High School and B.C. High. And it should be noted that because the enrollment at the school is so small, many players have to play on both sides of the ball. But the challenge has been met and accepted by a committed group of young men who have proven that teamwork and hard work produce great results. A few years ago they scrimmaged against the Division I powerhouse Everett High School and almost beat them in a very close game.

There is no doubt that a lot of good things come in small packages! Eastern Bank can compete against the giant national and international banks and beat them because it knows what it takes to win: hard work, determination, and teamwork. The BB&N knights have demonstrated the same level of teamwork and commitment to their football program and it is a resounding success on the field and in the academic arena.

Wilmington submitted an essay:

“ Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work and a civilization work.”

Wilmington High School football is built upon teamwork, hard work and passion for the game. Throughout the years we may not have had the biggest, the strongest or the fastest players in the Cape Ann League but we damn sure have the toughest.

Football in Wilmington has been and always will be built on tradition. From late August until Thanksgiving, we, as a team, work relentlessly hard through the sweltering heat and freezing cold. We don’t work hard because we have to, we don’t work hard because our coaches encourage it; we work hard because we want to win.

Looking down the field, down the line of scrimmage or simply at your teammate next to you, when playing for Wilmington High School, you know that everyone, including yourself is giving it their all.

Wilmington Football is not only characterized by the football team itself but also our extremely talented marching band and skilled cheerleaders. Through drumbeats, songs and chants, our team is fired up each and every game. This is what makes Wilmington High School unique. After all, it isn’t football season without a marching band and cheerleaders.

Football in some towns is thought of as a late summer to Thanksgiving sport. Here at Wilmington however, we work hard throughout the entire year to bring results in the upcoming season. Football should never be thought of as a single season sport and so we treat it as a life style. From team lifts to grueling conditioning, the Wildcat football team, year after year, works together, year round to earn the wins we deserve during the season.

And so, after all those exhausting summer and in season lifts, come the wins. And it prides us all to tell the world that there’s nothing like winning in Wilmington. After a victory comes celebration with our band and cheerleaders as we sing the Wilmington Fight Song:

Wilmington High School, Wilmington High School, We have got the T-E-A-M
When the boys are on the field they’re really on the B-E-A-M
Do you’re darnest, fight your hardest, give it all your might
‘Cause we are from Wilmington- gotta fight, gotta fight, gotta fight!

WHS Football Tri-Captains
John Moriarty
Denis Gingras
Evan Butters