Wealthy bonding with HSBC Premier

For a TVC to be unique, it needs three vital ingredients: a simple brief, an equally simple creative idea that connects and great execution that doesn’t get in the way of the idea. The latest HSBC Premier campaign scores on all three counts.

HSBC Premier is an exclusive relationship programme for HNIs (high net-worth individuals). Relationship managers are assigned to each such customer to offer wealth management advice and expertise. The added benefit is the Premier edge in the form of wealth management expertise that works for the customer.

It is a unique category to be advertised and Rajesh Iyer, senior vice-president and head, marketing, wealth management and liabilities, HSBC, explains, “HSBC Premier is our global wealth management proposition, which caters to HNIs. The HNI segment has been one of the fastest growing segments in recent times. Market estimates put the growth rate of this segment at 30 per cent per annum.”

Iyer adds, “Wealth management forms the core of our branch banking strategy, so we are committed to building saliency for the Premier brand in India.”

The TVC opens with a boxing match. The coach whispers to his student, who is fighting the match. The student knocks down his opponent and the voiceover says, “Ever wondered how champions are made?” The next shot shows a model who is hesitant to take a step forward when she sees the number of flashbulbs awaiting her. Suddenly, a woman steps in and tells her something, after which, the model regains her confidence. The voiceover says, “How personalities are shaped…” The scene then shifts to a high-up official waiting for another important person to arrive. His aide whispers in his ear and the official walks forward to greet another man. The voiceover says, “How world leaders succeed…” The VO continues, “Behind every successful person is a sound advisor.”

Iyer explains, “The objective was to create saliency and awareness for the HSBC Premier brand in India. Based on all the research that we did, we arrived at the positioning, ‘Wealth Management Expertise that Works for You’. The brief to the agency, therefore, was to bring this positioning alive with an impactful advertising campaign.”

Raj Nair, vice-president and creative director, Mumbai, Contract Advertising, says, “When we got this interesting brief from the client, we thought we should present HSBC Premier in a manner befitting the brand and also find a cut through expression in terms of the creative. This wasn’t simple. Various avenues were explored. The client kept encouraging us to push the envelope till we hit upon the current idea, which is elucidated as: ‘Behind Every Successful Person is a Sound Advisor’.”

Nair continues, “We thought of taking successful people from different walks of life – a sportsperson, a media personality who is a big star and a leader of state. Every successful person leans on an advisor who helps them take all the big decisions, who is their pillar of strength, and who thus forms an integral part of their success. The TVC tells this simple story in the form of a montage.”

The film is directed by Australia based Jeff Ballsmeyer. The music is composed by Ram Sampat. The brief was for a track that would underscore the emotions of the film and highlight its key points.

Nair says, “The brief for the print campaign is no different from that for the TVC. Both are based on exactly the same idea, and they came together very well. But in print specifically, we have been able to provide larger than life execution with actual personalities and their friends/guides/mentors. In fact, we have used successful people from the worlds of sports, music and films.”

He adds, “We personally contacted all the successful people featured in the campaign and their representatives. The photo search was the most important and, therefore, also the most exhaustive in terms of getting the right image with the perfect emotion.”

© 2006 agencyfaqs!