ING Direct has launched FairFees.ca, a website that encourages Canadians to pay close attention to the bank fees they pay, while providing them with a means to challenge unfair Canadian bank fees and service charges.

The social media campaign was announced in a letter by ING Direct CEO Peter Aceto, which ran as a full-page ad in dailies such as La Presse, The Globe and Mail and the National Post earlier this week.

In his letter, Aceto underlined the difficulties Canadians face in trying to benefit from interest on their savings accounts when banks are collecting unjustified fees on those accounts.

“Without making too much noise, many financial institutions raise existing fees and add others where you wouldn’t expect them,” he wrote.

At FairFees.ca Canadians can learn how quickly fees cut into interest gains, compare what they spend on bank fees against other common expenses, and electronically sign a petition that protests unfair fees.

“Since I started in this company 13 years ago, I’ve always tried to be an ambassador for the cause of Canadian investors,” said Aceto, in an interview. “We want to encourage people to keep their finances healthy, especially in this period of economic downpour.”

The campaign was inspired by ING customers, said Philippe Garneau, executive creative director at GWP Brand Engineering, the agency behind the campaign and website, and ING’s agency of record since the bank began operating in Canada in 1997. GWP president Bruce Philp co-wrote The Orange Code: How ING direct succeeded by being a rebel with a cause with ING Direct founding CEO Arkadi Kuhlmann, which was published last year.

“Every ING customer has to use an account from another bank,” he said. “So there were quite a number of them complaining about other banks’ fees in our Facebook group or elsewhere.

“All we’ve done is hand them a microphone in order for them to express their frustration on a greater scale,” he added. “In actuality, this campaign is halfway between marketing, public relations and political struggle.”

In a 10-minute video posted on the site, Aceto explains why it’s important to contest these “unjustified” fees and tells visitors how to make their disapproval known.

“Question the fees and service charges,” he says. “Look at your bank statement at the end of every month, and if you don’t understand the fees that you’re paying, go to your branch or call your bank and ask them to explain them to you.”

The website also provides numerous statistics (mostly supplied by Statistics Canada), like the $185 spent on banking fees each year by Canadian households, which is higher than other expenses like cinema outings ($171) or hair care ($149).

The site also contains links to a Facebook group, as well as Aceto’s Twitter page. In fact, Aceto announced the campaign pre launch to his 1,100 followers.

“I love to share everything I’m doing on Twitter: my ideas on management, on leadership... and I answer whoever asks me a question, he said. And, “I’m the only one who has access to that account.”

The day after the site launch, Aceto tweeted: “Another big day today. Day 2 on battle for fairfees.ca, closely examining our mutual fund business and 7 year strategy discussion tonite.”