Northern Rock Staff Star in Latest Campaign to Help Bring Mortgages to Life

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England, October 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Northern Rock has placed its own staff in a starring role in its new mortgage campaign. The new campaign aims to build on the success of the helpful video guides available on its award winning mortgages website.

Two customer service agents from the lender's Tyneside call centre are the first to have lent themselves to the latest campaign - 'Mortgages Made For You' - by appearing in video clips designed to bring their own warmth and personality to the business of mortgage lending.

The videos, which feature call centre workers Leanne and Joanne, along with some details about their own lives and circumstances, highlight not only that the bank's staff are there to guide borrowers through every step of their mortgage journey, but also feature details of the lender's popular incentives, Cashback, and free basic valuation and standard legal costs for all re-mortgage customers.

The move comes just months after the successful launch of the bank's brand campaign, 'Works for Me', which features real Northern Rock customers pictured in their own homes, and is the latest improvement to a website which has won a string of accolades since its redesign last year.

Andy Tate, Customer and Commercial Director at Northern Rock said: "Buying a home can be stressful and daunting for anyone. Here at Northern Rock, we regularly receive great feedback from our customers about how friendly and warm our staff are to deal with, and how straightforward they help make the mortgage journey.

"So, building on 'Works for Me', which is all about letting our customers speak for us, we thought our dedicated colleagues in our branches and contact centre would provide the perfect next step. After all, they are the human face of Northern Rock, providing the first point of contact to all our customers.

"We hope our customers will find the most recent videos, and 'Mortgages Made for You', a welcome addition to the website."

The videos can be viewed at http://www.northernrock.co.uk/mortgages/Mortgages-Made-For-You along with more details on the bank's current range of mortgages and other tools including a mortgages calculator.

About Northern Rock:

Northern Rock plc is a bank, authorised by the FSA as a deposit taker and mortgage lender from 1 January 2010. It offers savings accounts, including an ISA, to customers in the UK and Ireland and mortgage products to UK borrowers. New products are offered through both direct channels - including a national branch network - and mortgage intermediaries.

Northern Rock continues to operate within the compensatory measures agreed with the EC as part of the State Aid approval announced in October 2009.

BITC Awards

In June 2011, Northern Rock was awarded a national Big Tick Award in Business in the Community's Awards for Excellence, in the category of Building Stronger Communities.

The BITC Awards identify and celebrate companies having a positive impact on the community, environment, marketplace and workplace. The Big Tick winners demonstrate significant impact and high quality management of their responsible business practices and can show a positive impact both on society and on the business. Now in their 14th year, they are the UK's leading awards for responsible business practice.  Business in the Community stands for responsible business. More information can be found at http://www.bitc.org.uk.

The Jaguar Land Rover Building Stronger Communities Award recognises companies that are investing in the communities in which they operate and those in greatest need, achieving sustainable impact on key social issues in these areas.

PR Contact:
Jule Wilson
Northern Rock House
Gosforth
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 4PL
+44(0)191-279-4676
http://www.northernrock.co.uk