MADISON, Wis.–It’s said that “money talks,” and that may have never been more true than for one winning credit union that has let the Benjamins, the Ulysses, the Abes and the Jacksons speak up on its behalf.
The Marketing, PR and Development Council of America’s Credit Unions has announced its top award winners in its Diamond Awards competition.
According to the Council, this year’s competition included 1,400 entries, with 180 organizations from 42 states selected as winners.
Here’s a look at the 2025 top winners in the Diamond Awards:
Best of Show
America First Credit Union, Riverdale, Utah
Campaign: Get Your Money Working
The “Get Your Money Working” campaign features a series of high-quality, animated currency notes interacting with people in a variety of ways, all of which tie back to how money can be put to better use at America First.
“A key goal for the ‘Get Your Money Working’ campaign was to be liked and remembered, positioning AFCU as one of the two or three top-of-mind choices when people needed a bank or credit union,” America First said in describing the campaign. “The first ad in this new campaign, ‘Friends,’ got more likes on YouTube than any video of any type (ad, educational, or social) in AFCUs history, and from what we can research, more likes than any video in our credit union competitors’ histories. While likes aren’t important, per se, they are a good indicator that AFCU’s marketing is resonating with our target audience and being remembered.”
The America First spots can be seen here:
Other credit unions recognized as part of the Diamond Awards include:
Diamond Award for The Most Edgy
CSE Federal Credit Union, Lake Charles, La.
Campaign: “Get Some Work Done.”
“The ‘Get Some Work Done’ HELOC commercial used humor and storytelling to promote home equity lines of credit,” CSE CU said in its entry. “The ad follows three neighbors gossiping about Mrs. Miller, assuming she’s had some ‘work done.’ They discover the work is a beautiful kitchen renovation funded by a HELOC from CSE. The lighthearted dialogue and surprising twist entertained viewers while showcasing how a HELOC can bring dream objects to life. This creative approach makes the concept relatable and memorable, reinforcing CSE’s role in empowering members to achieve their goals through flexible financial solutions.”
To view the spot, go here
Diamond Award for Color, For Brilliant use of Art
Mosce Credit Union, Modesto, Calif.
Restyled Branch
“As Mocse launched a rebrand in 2024, we were looking for ways to reimagine our engagement with our community. We were also looking for ways to bring a couple of our brand dimensions to life,” the credit union explained. “The Mocse rebrand identified our brand persona as ‘Audaciously Authentic’ and identified a core value of living our brand in a hyper-local way. Our branch in downtown Modesto had grown tired, outdated and almost invisible. While our branch suffered from a lack of attention over decades, downtown Modesto has been on a 10 year reinvention. There’s a thriving arts and theater scene, great restaurants and a number of festivals, including our Graffiti Festival, which features a parade of classic cars that drive right in front of our branch.
“Among the arts featured downtown are many murals by different artists. As we thought about ways to reinvigorate our brand and our branch, we came up with the idea of turning our entire building into a mural,” the credit union continued. “We wanted to go beyond just a wall or a small piece of artwork and sought to make strong statement that Mocse is new, is here, and is Audaciously Authentic. We commissioned a local artist who enlisted the help of an abstract muralist to align the art with our building. Our only criteria for the mural: it must not be a billboard or perceived as an ad, but should be a true, original piece of art that is a gift to our community. With the installation titled ‘Infinite Horizons,’ we believe we succeeded.”
Clarity Award for Most Sentimental
Service Credit Union, Portsmouth, N.H.
Video of Police Officer’s Story and Gift
In the video, Service Credit Union shares the story of Police Officer Mike Matracia, who talks about his career and life, and how it changed when he was diagnosed with MS.
Matracia talks about what a difference iBots have made in the lives of other people, and then is surprised when Service CU informs him the real reason he is there is to be presented with an iBot of his own. An emotional Matracia calls it “life changing.”
The video can be found on YouTube here.
Carat Award for the Greatest Impact
Georgia United Credit Union, Duluth, Ga.
School Crashers Makeover Program
“If only someone offered school’s makeover projects to inspire creativity and spark learning… That’s where Georgia United’s annual School Crashers makeover program can help,” Georgia United said. “Our objective is to improve the learning environment for students and teachers in underserved schools by connecting schools to the business community, media partners, GUCU team members and volunteers to complete needed campus or classroom ‘makeover; projects that are not typically funded by school system budgets. This 11-year-old trademarked community service program utilizes GUCU project managers to lead teams of volunteers to complete requested improvement projects over the summer when students are on summer vacation.”
