Cultural HSBC

No matter where you’re from, you belong

A university project exploring an HSBC rebrand for cultural adaptation: how an established global identity might be adapted through cultural visual languages, and how one brand can communicate across different cultural contexts.

An independent student rebranding concept for MA Graphic Design module 7017. It is not an official HSBC commission and is not affiliated with HSBC.

Brief and research

This project focuses on an HSBC campaign targeting international students, providing financial solutions and cultural integration.

Target audience: international students and career starters.

Challenges faced by international students: financial management (currency conversion, tuition payments, budgeting); cultural adaptation and language barriers; career opportunities and job search difficulties.

Why HSBC: a strong global presence; multilingual support; comprehensive student financial services; branches in many countries for moving money; branches close to university campuses.

The challenge: cultural adaptation

Key design problems identified in the research: overcoming language and cultural barriers; modernising HSBC’s identity for students; representing a seamless financial journey; communication that is minimal yet impactful; and innovative storytelling for a campaign video.

Concept development

Two campaign concepts were developed: a “What If?” campaign and a Cultural Mashup symbolic campaign. The Cultural Mashup concept was taken forward into the identity and the film.

“What If?” campaign poster: red lettering on white with the line I run out of money?

Pencil sketch of the hexagon mark divided into illustrated segments.

Constructing the identity

The mark keeps HSBC’s hexagon and fills it with eight illustrated segments drawn in line, showing architecture, faces, ornament and pattern, assembled into the proposed identity.

Illustrated segment: patterned border above a pair of eyes.

Illustrated segment: eyes above a stepped stone structure and a tiered roof.

The Cultural HSBC mark: the HSBC hexagon filled with red line illustrations above the words HSBC UK.

Applications

Mockup: the red mark mounted on a building facade above HSBC UK lettering.

Mockup: the mark on a lit billboard in a station corridor.

Mockup: the mark printed on paper beside a pen.

Storyboard and film

Countries chosen for the storyboard: China, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal and Hong Kong.

Campaign video breakdown: opening on a spinning globe with HSBC landmarks and cultural patterns; the student journey (packing, boarding flights, multilingual speech bubbles); HSBC’s role (opening accounts, banking support, currency conversion); career and banking; celebration and success (a cultural festival, graduation, exploring the UK); and a final scene with the HSBC logo, the cultural mashup illustration and the tagline.

Campaign video storyboard: red line drawings of landmarks, figures, transport and the mark.

Final campaign film, 1 min 20 s. Sound on.

Film frame: a red line drawing of a pagoda and a dragon.

Film frame: a red line drawing of the Taj Mahal.