Creative Execution

The banknote brought the story of HSBC to life in an interactive & engaging way. Through the app, users were invited to explore the bank’s rich history in Hong Kong, see the growth of the city, take a 3D tour of the bank’s 4 headquarters since 1865, and discover the hidden secret of the banknote’s design. Users are able to interact with every corner of the banknote using the app. The app also offers a direct link to an HSBC microsite where users could apply for a physical commemorative banknote.

Snaking queues out of the major branches in Cause Way Bay and MongKok were observed (all very civilized as you would expect in Hong Kong). Within 2 days of the note’s announcement, the HSBC anniversary app reached No.1 in the Hong Kong app store. Subscription to the commemorative banknote received more than 8.75 million applications. For a population of just over 7 million, this is truly an achievement! Some special banknote sets are so popular that they were oversubscribed 65 times.

Ambition has burned brightly throughout Hong Kong’s history and although geographically small, the city has grown into a global financial and trade powerhouse. HSBC has been a key contributor in this evolution, supporting individuals and businesses since 1865. If you’ve grown up in Hong Kong, HSBC has always been here. There’s a branch on every street corner and most people and businesses have connection, one way or another, with “The Bank”, not least, through the billions of HSBC branded banknotes in circulation. Connecting the country’s ambition and the bank’s role within it informed the strategic positioning -‘150 years of shared ambition’. Hong Kong has the highest smartphone penetration in APAC. Hong Kong people are among the keenest users of mobile apps. To celebrate this we developed the world’s first augmented reality banknote for the people of Hong Kong to download and enjoy.