Huntington Celebrates the Power of the Pen on National Ballpoint Pen Day

Huntington surpasses 60 million free green pens

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Jun 10, 2019, 08:30 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntington (Nasdaq: HBAN; www.huntington.com), which has given away more than 60 million of its signature green pens, encourages "looking out for each other" one pen at a time on National Ballpoint Pen Day June 10. The day commemorates the anniversary of the patent filing by brothers Laszlo and Gyorgy Biro on June 10, 1943.

Like most banks, Huntington's pens were once chained to tables and counters in bank branches across the Midwest. That changed in 2010, when Huntington removed the chains and freed the pens, encouraging customers to keep and share them. Once untethered, the colorful green pens have become ubiquitous across the Midwest, showing up in check-out lines, restaurants, business offices and desk drawers across America – and beyond.

Huntington recently launched the "We're for People" brand campaign, a culmination of a two-year, customer-inspired road trip that took Huntington bankers into homes and businesses to learn first-hand what people are facing when it comes to their money.

"During the tour, we saw our pens in homes and businesses across multiple states. We were proud to see them – and even more proud that people opened up to us and shared real, personal insights about the important financial issues they're dealing with," said Julie Tutkovics, Huntington's chief marketing and communications officer. "The pen is a symbol of our commitment to listening to customers, thinking creatively on their behalf and delivering tools that make people's lives better."

The pens have been on a wild road trip of their own. They've been sighted in every state in America and around the world in Costa Rica, India, France, Italy, Spain, China, Africa and Afghanistan, among others, as well as on TV.

Anyone can participate in National Ballpoint Pen Day on Monday, June 10, 2019 by:

Looking out for each other: Have friends who need pens? Give them yours and then pick up a new one at any of Huntington's 898 branches.
Connecting on social: Has your Huntington pen been spotted on the beach or in a Hollywood movie? Has it been part of an art project? Use the hashtag #NationalBallPointPenDay to share how you're celebrating.
Celebrating LGBT Pride Month: Special-edition Huntington pens with rainbow colors are available at Pride events throughout the month.
Imagining how far 60 million pens would go: At six inches apiece, 60 million pens put end to end would stretch for 5,682 miles – a round trip from New York to Los Angeles on I-80. What other dream road trips could you embark on to cover this distance?

"Our customers are our focus. When they're facing a challenge, we try to step in to help," says Andy Harmening, Senior Executive Vice President, Consumer and Business Banking Director for Huntington. "Sometimes, it's a small gesture like giving someone a pen when they need it. Other times, that means anticipating road blocks in their financial lives that they might not be able to see, and we show them the path forward."

About Huntington
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with $108 billion of assets and a network of 898 full-service branches, including 12 Private Client Group offices, and 1,727 ATMs across eight Midwestern states. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumer, small business, commercial, treasury management, wealth management, brokerage, trust, and insurance services. Huntington also provides vehicle finance, equipment finance, national settlement, and capital market services that extend beyond its core states. Visit huntington.com for more information.

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated