THE HSBC $150 AR BANKNOTE
| Title | THE HSBC $150 AR BANKNOTE |
| Brand | HSBC |
| Product / Service | 150TH ANNIVERSARY |
| Category | C02. Services |
| Entrant | J. WALTER THOMPSON HONG KONG, HONG KONG |
| Entrant Company | J. WALTER THOMPSON HONG KONG, HONG KONG |
| Advertising Agency | J. WALTER THOMPSON HONG KONG, HONG KONG |
| Media Agency | MINDSHARE Hong Kong, HONG KONG |
| Production Company | CHERRYPICKS Hong Kong, HONG KONG |
Credits
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Chan | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Creative Director |
| Simon Welsh | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Executive Creative Director |
| Camille Chan | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Art Director |
| Simond Chew | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Head of Art |
| Matthew Parry | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Business Director |
| Rollo Gwyn-Jones | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Account Director |
| Lauren Sife | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Account Manager |
| Subhendhu Mukherjee | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Planning Director |
| Tommy Tai | J Walter Thompson Hong Kong | Planning Director |
| Raymond Leung | Cherrypicks | Vice President - Sales |
| Samson Sin | Cherrypicks | Vice President - Creative & Product Development |
| Sam Selleck | Mindshare Hong Kong | Client Partner |
| Alfred Cheng | Mindshare Hong Kong | Account Lead |
| Winston Tai | Mindshare Hong Kong | Senior Director, Client Leadership |
| Polly Lee | Mindshare Hong Kong | Client Leadership |
| Daisy Leung | Mindshare Hong Kong | Director, Trading |
| Cindy Lee | Mindshare Hong Kong | Manager, Trading |
Creative Execution
The augmented reality banknote brought the story of HSBC to life in an unexpected way. Through the app, users were invited to explore the bank’s rich history in Hong Kong, see the growth and changing skyline of the city, and take a 3D tour of the bank’s four headquarters since 1865. The app also provided a direct link to an HSBC website from which users could apply for a physical HK$150 commemorative banknote.
Within two days of the note’s announcement, the HSBC anniversary app reached No.1 in the Hong Kong app store. Subscription to the banknote was heavily oversubscribed, receiving more than 8.75 million applications, with special commemorative sets being oversubscribed 65 times. As a result of this overwhelming response, HSBC cancelled the digital and print media two weeks before the campaign was due to end. All profits from the banknote sale are going to local charities, and while no figure is yet available, it’s already clear that it has exceeded all expectations.
Ambition has burned brightly throughout Hong Kong’s history. Geographically small, the city has grown into a global financial and trade powerhouse. HSBC has played its part in this evolution, supporting individuals and businesses since 1865. Connecting the territory’s ambition and the bank’s role within it informed the strategic positioning, ‘150 years of shared ambition’. What we created needed to give something back to Hong Kong, so we developed the world’s first augmented reality banknote for the people of Hong Kong to download and enjoy.