Challenger bank Tandem pranked people in a north London pub by swapping the bar staff for bankers
Challenger banks love to poke fun at the status quo.
None more so than Tandem, the UK's newest digital bank, which is set to open later this year.
The new lender on the block, spearheaded by Capital One co-founder Ricky Knox, made its presence known last week by pulling a prank in a north London pub to poke fun at the services provided by high-street banking heavyweights.
Tandem rigged The Three Compasses pub in Hornsey with hidden cameras to capture the reactions of pub-goers as their local boozer was transformed into a bank, complete with corporate bar staff, a numbered queuing system and "hold" music.
To add authenticity, Tandem even attached a pint glass to one of those metal chains which prevents high street lenders from having their pens stolen by the great unwashed.
Cue confused reactions, uncomfortable silences and one man suggesting that he and the bartender sort their disagreement over payments "outside".
Tandem executed the prank after a recent study revealed the top 25 modern day irritations included being kept on hold, unexpected fees and being transferred to different teams.
The advert's closing message reads: "You wouldn't stand for this at your pub, why stand for this at your bank?"
But Tandem isn't the first financial services firm to fool around in a pub. Back in 2014 Tranferwise posted a video on Youtube taking a swipe at traditional lenders' treatment of customer's money.
The fintech company's "world's worst barman" brazenly took swigs out of punters' drinks as they looked on in horror.
The new bank is the second digital lender to be granted a licence by the Bank of England. It joins rival Atom, lead by ex-First Direct boss Mark Mullen, as a digital bank looking to launch next year.
The banking industry is seeing an influx of new banks coming onto the scene, following the launch of Metro Bank in London in 2010.