HSBC: SERIOUS PLAY

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: HSBC
Agency: JWT LONDON
Category: Best Sponsorship or Partnership Campaigns
Advertising campaign: SERIOUS PLAY
Creative Director: Daniel Hennessy (JWT)
Coin Producer: Emma White (JWT)
Coin Design: Matt Dent (Bison Bison)
Copywriter: Matt Chandler (JWT)
Planner: Orlando Hooper-Greenhill (JWT)
Chief Creative Officer: Russell Ramsey (JWT)
Account Supervisor: Rollo Gwyn-Jones (JWT)
Agency TV Producer: Romilla Sanassy (JWT)
Director: Ash Bolland (Curious Films)
Global HSBC Creative Director: Axel Chaldecott (JWT)
Coin Design: Christian Davis (Bison Bison)
Editor: James Rosen (Final Cut)
Art Director: Simon Sworn (JWT)
Producer: Tara Riddell (Curious Films)
Photographer: Alan Clarke
Sound Design: Dan Weinberg (Greek Street Studio)
Agency TV Assistant Producer: Helen Ball (JWT)
Creative Director: Iain Weatherby (JWT)
Print Producer: Romana Kit (JWT)
Account Director: Tanya Hamiltion-Smith (JWT)

Relevancy
Apart from the obvious connection between a tournament coin and an international bank, the Serious Play coin answered a harder problem. How does a major brand communicate its sponsorship whilst not getting in the way of the rugby? Whatever we did had to add value to the experience. The coin became a catalyst for fun in a personal sphere but on a large scale. It allowed people to settle bets and set outlandish challenges. And afterwards, it would be something found in a pocket and to remember the weekend by. All courtesy of HSBC.

Outcome
In just two and a half days more than 10,000 sevens fans managed to get their hands on the limited edition coin. Tens of thousands more joined in with the campaign, visiting the HSBC sevens village, and being thrilled by the coin’s minting procedure through the rousing in-stadium film. And the campaign immediately went beyond Hong Kong, with rugby fans around the world also joining in the spirit of Serious Play as the film received over 280,000 views in the week of the sevens alone.

Implementation
We did what banks do – made money. We designed and minted a Serious/Play coin. One side was ‘SERIOUS’ — representing the serious business of the rugby. The flipside was ‘PLAY’, expressing the carnival atmosphere of the event. But the Serious/Play coin was much more than a memento. It became a second currency for the weekend used throughout the Stadium, and in the party areas of the city: to buy entry into events, play games and enter competitions. The activation was supported by a city-wide press and poster campaign, while in-stadium, an epic film brought to life the coin’s extraordinary minting process.

Client Brief Or Objective
The HSBC 2012 Hong Kong Sevens Campaign marked the bank’s return to title sponsor after a 15 year absence with a bang. A media takeover of the city and a viral stadium ad that was ‘bloody brilliant’ (the CEO’s words, not ours) marked the bank’s renewed focus on Hong Kong. We were asked to build upon this initial success by doing more of the same i.e. getting the stadium on their feet. But the twist came in a brief for greater brand engagement throughout the event and to see the brand brought out more.