HSBC captures the spirit of the Hong Kong Sevens with new Serious Play campaign

HSBC has launched a brand new Serious Play campaign to support the financial group’s co-title sponsorship of the 2013 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament, which takes place this weekend (22-24 March) at the Hong Kong Stadium.

This year, HSBC has minted a commemorative Serious Play medallion for the fans at the event – one of the biggest weekends in the Hong Kong calendar. The Serious side represents the world class 7s Rugby and the Play side represents the weekend’s legendary carnival atmosphere. HSBC has minted 10,000 of them and are exclusively available to fans in the HSBC 7s Village.

The campaign, created by JWT London, focuses on the two sides of the medallion. The official stadium film charts its fantastical creation in a secret underground Mint beneath the Hong Kong stadium. Rugby players create the Serious side and the fans produce the Play side. The film launches on YouTube first and will then be shown throughout the weekend in the Stadium. The campaign is amplified with high impact outdoor sites, press and digital display across key platforms.

The film is set to the legendary party anthem Jump Around by House of Pain and features cameos from rugby legends Gavin Hastings and George Gregan.

The Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament is the flagship event in the HSBC Sevens World Series with 28 international teams set to take part in 2013.

Andrea Newman, Group Head of Marketing & Advertising Communications at HSBC, said: “We are very proud to sponsor the Hong Kong Sevens – a headline event in our sponsorship calendar in our spiritual home. We want to show our support by celebrating the weekend with the people of Hong Kong. This year the campaign tells a remarkable story of our Serious Play commemorative medallion coming to life and for the lucky fans, a great memento from a superb weekend of rugby and celebration.”

HSBC Credits List

Project name: ‘Serious Play’ – Hong Kong Sevens 2013

Client and Job Title:
Andrea Newman (Global Head of Advertising),
Giles Morgan (Global Head of Sponsorship and Events)
Hamish Goulding (Senior Marketing Manager Brand and Sponsorship)

Brief: Create a campaign for the Hong Kong Sevens that engages fans whilst communicating the brand.

Creative Agency: JWT London
Global Creative Director on HSBC: Axel Chaldecott
Art Director: Simon Sworn
Copy Writer: Matt Chandler
TV Producer: Romila Sanassy
Assistant TV Producer: Helen Ball
Planner (creative agency): Orlando Hooper-Greenhill
Global Director: Tanya Hamilton-Smith
Account Manager: Rollo Gwyn-Jones

Media Agency: Mindshare
Media planner: Sam Selleck
Director: Ash Bolland

Production Company: Curious Films
Editor: James Rosen at Final Cut London
Sound: Dan Weinberg at Greek Street Studios
Post Production: Glassworks
Flame Lead: Duncan Horn
3D lead: Jon Park
Colorist: Ben Rogers
Producer: Abi Klimaszewska

Exposure: Hong Kong Sevens Stadium 22-24 March, Press, Outdoor and online (HSBC YouTube Channel)

HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 6,600 offices in 81 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,693bn at 31 December 2012, the HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

JWT
JWT is the world’s best-known marketing communications brand. Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues a dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edge—from producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to today, developing award-winning branded content. JWT embraces a WORLDMADE philosophy, making things inspired by the world through blending technological innovation with international imagination. JWT has forged deep relationships with clients including Bayer, Bloomberg, Brand USA, Diageo, Ford, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft, Macy’s, Mondelez, Nestlé, Nokia, Rolex, Royal Caribbean, Schick, Shell, Unilever, Vodafone, Vonage and many others. JWT’s parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, please visit www.jwt.com and follow us @JWT_Worldwide.