Wunderman Thompson

Client: HSBC UK
Product: Banking
Title: Vicious Circle
Media: TVC/OOH/Digital
Country: United Kingdom
Date Of Campaign: 04/06/2021

Background: Without an address, the homeless find themselves in a lose-lose situation where not having a home makes it harder to open a bank account. This makes it harder to secure a legitimate job or claim benefits. Which makes it harder to find a home. It’s a vicious circle. To break this cycle of financial exclusion, HSBC UK partnered with Shelter to create the No Fixed Address Service. The bank provides the homeless with bank accounts using the charity’s address as proof of identification. To demonstrate how this partnership can stop the cycle of financial exclusion we built our own vicious circle.

Idea: People don’t realise that without a bank account the homeless are stuck in a lose-lose situation where not having a bank account makes it harder to receive wages and benefits, harder to secure a job, and harder to find a home. It’s a vicious circle. Our brief: show the bank’s role as part of the solution to people who may need HSBC UK’s No Fixed Address Service, and those in a position told help.We used a revolving stage to dramatise the repetitive struggles the homelessness face when they can’t access the financial system. The stage only comes to a rest with the introduction of The No Fixed Address Service. This allows our character to leave the stage, illustrating how having a bank account can help the homeless reconnect with society.

Results: The No Fixed Address Service appeared in the top 5 drivers of positive buzz for the first time – positive buzz is generally driven by word of mouth (recommendations), customer service, and HSBC’s advertising.HSBC UK saw a 10% uplift in positive brand affinity as a direct result of the campaign.What started in 1 branch has spread to 144 nationwide – with HSBC UK now partnering with over 204 local charity partners who can act as an identity verifier.HSBC UK has laid the groundwork for a platform to encourage other big banks to embark on a similar mission.