Personal Values vs. Financial Gain: HSBC Captures the Struggle

LONDON - Financial advertising has been a rather predictable beast of late. Banks are clamouring to reassure us that they are safe, strong and, above all, surviving. HSBC’s latest TV spots by JWT London offer a different perspective. In these new spots, we go from the celebrity-obsessed arena of the paparazzo to the daily struggle of the fisherman - two worlds which are more alike than you might think.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: www.prnewswire.com/mnr/hsbc/39997/

If you’ve walked through an airport recently, you won’t have failed to notice that HSBC recognises people’s different values - from Responsibility to Trust and Security. In these new ads, HSBC explores the crucial role that these values play in people’s financial decisions.

In ‘Integrity’, we follow a photographer who hits the jackpot with a snap of a celebrity removed from the trappings of her A-list lifestyle. We witness the paparazzo’s personal struggle to choose between integrity and ill-gotten financial gain. The intimate moments of the lives of the rich and famous have become common currency in a media arena where privacy is no longer sacred. Will our hero delete the million-dollar shot and forfeit the rewards? ‘Responsibility’ champions a fisherman of humble means. After weeks of rough seas and pitiful catches, he finally raises a net full of valuable fish. It also contains a dolphin. The fisherman’s sense of responsibility sees him sacrificing his haul in order to return the dolphin safely to the water.

The environmental issue highlighted in ‘Responsibility’ is a very real concern for governments and charities around the world. At least 300,000 dolphins die every year caught in fishing nets. The focus on the human face of the problem of ‘cetacean by-catch’ reflects HSBC’s long-standing commitment to sustainability issues. As Group Chairman Stephen Green puts it, sustainability is “central to our business operations and at the heart of the way we work with our clients across the world.” This spot manages to capture the ethical decisions faced by individuals and corporations alike.

Both films make heroes of those who apply their personal values to how they choose to make money. HSBC recognises the importance of responsibility and integrity in the lives of its customers and their financial decisions. From pap to porpoise, our values shape the way we manage our money.

For additional information on HSBC values, please visit www.hsbc.com/1/2/about/advertising/

For videos in different languages please contact Heather McCracken (heathermccracken@hsbc.com).

Source: HSBC

For videos in different languages please contact Heather McCracken (heathermccracken at hsbc.com). +44(0)207-991-0477