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UNCOMFORTABLE IS GOOD
by HSBC
Sleeping with a period has never been more peaceful.
"The World's Local Bank" was out; "Together We Thrive" was in.
HSBC needed a way to launch this new platform in Singapore.
But in a city with bigger players, HSBC couldn't just compete.
They needed to change the game.
Becoming a the bank that stood for the misfits. The outliers.
The ones who refuse to conform.
The manifesto was written.
Then local rapper, The Lion City Boy, threw it down.
(Listen with earphones)
Uncomfortable is good
But it's the garang and the gungho
Who change the script
The uncomfortable ones
Who make a blip in this island
And the world beyond
They're the ones whose legacy
Will carry on
Comfort is not our friend
It keeps us in place
Makes us feel safe
No place for the gangsters
Or the chiongsters
Who get in the way
Comfort keeps us
On time, in line, headed for success
Defined by wealth, status, having excess
Where the kiasus run amok
And the liberals run dry
That calls to question the meaning of progress
It's time to leave comfort behind
To write a new chapter
For our unique bloodline
To band as one
Together with one truth
To the ones who get it:
Uncomfortable is good.
The pitch went well, and we were into the second round.
But while client's liked the sentiment of "Uncomfortable is Good", it was TOO brave.
So, we went in with a different line:
Open for More
When you're open, the world opens up to you.
HSBC believes in that and helps make that happen for you.
We presented another manifesto centred on the new idea.
Same swag, more "premium".
We also presented a couple of Key Visuals for a range of business units.
After a long-drawn, dramatic contest, the pitch was lost.
And yet the work that came out of it become one of our proudest wins of the year.
Executive Creative Director Carlos Camacho
Executive Creative Director Jon Loke
Senior Art Director Samantha Branson
Copywriter Natalie Goh
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