OCBC Frank

SMU has had an OCBC branch in its lobby since I was a student there. It was staid and boring like any other bank, then. When I came here the other day to do some banking over the counter, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had transformed entirely.
Now revamped as part of the bank’s FRANK product, which emphasizes on youth and individuality, the entire branch now resembles a cool T-​shirt bar or record store, which is what they were gunning for I suppose.
Instead of bank tellers they have casually dressed young people assisting you over the counter. It’s a relief to know that they still knew what they were doing, despite the newfound casual-​ness of it all.
While you’re waiting for stuff to get done you can browse on the MacBook Airs that are sitting around the store, and even pick a debit or credit card design off the racks (they’re made to look like records). The designs are inventive and the entire customer experience makes you feel happy to be at a bank, which is… quite a rare thing to feel!
Good job to the OCBC and FRANK teams. They couldn’t have picked a better location to pioneer such a concept (a downtown university with thousands of students who need banking services).