DALLAS, Jan. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- KeyBank announces the hiring of a special division of The Richards Group, founded by Stan Richards, formed to focus entirely on KeyBank. KeyBank is the principal subsidiary of Cleveland-based KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY), one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies. The special division of The Richards Group will be responsible for creative work, media planning and purchasing, including digital work that will launch in the second quarter of 2016.

"We took some wise counsel from Stan Richards in making our decision," said Tom Wennerberg, executive vice president of marketing for KeyBank. "Stan advised us during the review to hire an agency, not a campaign. And that's what we did. The Richards Group as an agency, and especially the team that will be working with us, has a long and wonderful history of being true partners."

KeyBank provides investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies. KeyBank's geographic footprint and diverse product and services offerings make sizeable opportunities for unified branding and communication.

The Bedford Group consulting firm facilitated the review process, connecting KeyBank with the agency.

Principal of the special division, David Hall, said, "This is an opportunity to be bold - to break through the usual conventions of bank advertising. Our team is ready to help show how KeyBank is breaking the mold in the banking industry."

For more information about KeyBank, visit www.key.com. Follow Key on Twitter at @keybank or on Facebook.

About KeyCorp

Key traces its history back more than 160 years and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, Key has assets of approximately $95.1 billion. Key (NYSE: KEY) provides deposit, lending, cash management and investment services to individuals as well as small and medium-size businesses under the name KeyBank National Association. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name.

About The Richards Group

The Richards Group can be found at richards.com or on Twitter, @RichardsGroup.

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SOURCE KeyCorp