After years of fragmented communication and steadily declining brand metrics, HSBC UK found itself in a perfect storm. In 2016’s Brexit vote, the UK had elected to leave the EU and Britain was in the midst of questioning its relationship with the world. The entire UK market was about to face a major disruption, but HSBC saw its strong international heritage become the least relevant brand association amongst audiences in the nation. For a nation that started looking inwards rather than to the world, the bank once famously known as “The world’s local bank”, quickly became famously irrelevant.

We needed a long-term strategy that could:

• Lead to an influential idea that cuts through (increasing ad-efficiency) and re-establishes relevance in a post-Brexit world

• Help rebuild the brand and increase our Brand Power ranking (7th in the market)

• Provide a platform for commercial growth across key personal banking products

Tapping into the zeitgeist of a Britain struggling to redefine itself, we jumped into the heart of conversation around national identity. In a country that often describes itself as ‘a little island’, we defiantly launched our creative idea: We are not an Island - we are part of something far, far, bigger. The things that make us quintessentially British are inescapably international.

‘We are not an island’ firmly pointed out that no matter the politics, we believe that the people, communities, and businesses of the UK will always thrive most when connected to something bigger than themselves the world. And not only would HSBC to show its deep commitment to the country by reminding it of its connections with the world, we were ready to do so at every level the individual, community, and nation for years to come. We set out to do so with the boldest work possible.