About this collection
Midland Bank (now HSBC UK) made waves in December 1984 when it became the first major high street bank in the UK to introduce ‘free banking’. This removed all charges for personal current account holders who remained in credit. It was an immediate success, helped by upbeat reviews in the national press and an extensive advertising campaign featuring the Midland griffin. The ads promoted free access to cheques, cash withdrawals and direct debits, and helped to attract more than 450,000 new account holders within the first year. Explore the eye-catching campaign that launched the new initiative in 1984.
