Wunderman Thompson

Client: HSBC UK
Product: HSBC UK
Title: Both Sides
Media: Press, OOH, Digital OOH
Country: United Kingdom
Date Of Campaign: October 2019- December 2019

Background: At a time when the UK was questioning its relationship with the rest of the world thanks to the Brexit debate, HSBC UK wanted the brand to rediscover its voice in a competitive market dominated by nostalgic and inward-looking ‘we’ve been with you since the good old days’ campaigns.

Idea: Building from the brand platform ‘Together we thrive’, the idea was to reframe HSBC’s internationalism and make it feel meaningful and relevant to the UK at a time when the country was divided down the middle. Launched across 12 UK cities and selected London boroughs, ‘Both Sides' celebrated the influences the UK has had on the world and vice-versa. For example; without L.A. there would be no traffic cone hat for the Duke of Wellington sculpture in Glasgow, with no France, Oasis' hit song 'Champagne Supernova' would never have been released, and without China and its years of tea cultivation, there would be no Yorkshire brew. Each advert highlighting that thanks to the mutual exchange of ideas, culture and innovations, the United Kingdom will always thrive when it is 'part of something far, far bigger' – in spite of the ever-impending Brexit deadlines.

Results: The message touched a nerve in culture and made news headlines, provoking conversations in social media from the public and journalists alike. Even celebrities like Wiley, Jeremy White, John Boyega and Edgar Wright weighed in. More importantly, Both Sides beat the highest brand awareness mark set by the previous ‘We Are Not An Island’ campaign, but for two thirds the cost.