Following a successful No Fixed Address Bank Account pilot programme in 2019, HSBC UK and Shelter decided to deploy a nationwide campaign in 2021 in order to tackle increased rates of homelessness and financial exclusion in the aftermath of Brexit and COVID-19.

With this brilliant initiative in place, we needed to find a way to maximise awareness. We set out to create a campaign that would dramatise the revolving nightmare of homelessness and financial exclusion as a Vicious Circle.

The Vicious Circle formed the connective tissue at the heart of a campaign which rolled out across TV, urban OOH, radio, print and Social Media for over 2 years.

Our communications strategy was twofold:

1. Make the vicious circle unmissable.

The campaign launched during appointment to view TV such as Goggle Box, on Channel 4, one of the UK’s most popular TV shows at the time. Channel 4 didn’t just air the campaign, they interrupted programming and introduced the ad in recognition of the significance of the initiative.

OOH was a critical medium to grab people’s attention in the places where many homeless people are forced to spend the night, and are so often ignored.

We selected OOH sites based on two important criteria:

- We wanted to have maximum presence in the places where homelessness has a real impact, so we chose sites in the heart of the five cities with the highest rates of homelessness in the UK. We managed to secure some of the UK's largest and most prominent outdoor sites such as the Picadilly Lights and The IMAX London which enabled us to depict the vicious circle of homelessness and financial exclusion with unprecedented scale and impact.

- We wanted to ensure that every OOH was within walking distance of an HSBC UK branch, thereby making it easy for homeless people to visit a branch and open a No Fixed Address account immediately.

2. Maximise Direct Action.

To maximise impact, the vicious circle message was broadcast on channels such as national radio, OOH print and social. These channels carried a clear call to action enabling people to find out more, and either access the Homeless Bank Account, or make a direct donation to our charity partners, Shelter.

When the Piccadilly Lights OOH went live we deployed volunteers in the area to provide real time support to vulnerable people on the streets.

We also launched a charity referral scheme, enabling smaller homeless charities to become an affiliated supporter of the No Fixed Address Bank Account. To date over 200 smaller charities have signed up, helping to maximise social impact.