HSBC Passes Robotic Rugby Ball To Shine Hong Kong Sevens Spotlight On Local Businesses

To leverage its title sponsorship of the iconic Hong Kong Sevens, early April saw HSBC create a state-of-the-art, high-tech rugby ball and the pass it through the hands of different local businesses – start-ups and innotech – to raise the profile of some of the banks customers.

In a campaign developed with Grey Group Hong Kong, the Hong Kong banking behemoth teamed up with one of its local innotech customers, Insight Robotics, to create the ball which travelled throughout Hong Kong via the hands of different local business customers who were each given the opportunity to pitch or introduce their business to the camera.

“There are cameras mounted on the sides of the official game ball and the ball was passed around Hong Kong,” explained Insight Robotics founder Rex Sham.

“I’m happy to be part of such a fun project which also shows how supportive HSBC is of innovative businesses and startups.”

The initiative, which was promoted in-person, experientially and across the brand’s digital and social channels with a video that shined the spotlight on some of its SME clients in the city and shows how HSBC supports their growth journey.

As well as the spot, the campaign’s media channels included a district focus around the Hong Kong Sevens competition, a presence in the Rugby Village and Hexagon Suite, as well as TV, digital and social media support leeveraging the tournament.

Where worlds collide, anything can happen. #HSBC7s kicks off in Hong Kong next week, follow @HSBC_Sport for updates on the most unpredictable tournament in the world. #HK7s #Rugby7s pic.twitter.com/yWw2Q0RyEh

— HSBC (@HSBC) March 29, 2019

Comment

The Hong Kong Sevens is one of Hong Kong’s biggest and best known annual sporting events and HSBC has a long partnership with the event and it is also the title partner of World Rugby’s global sevens series.

The 2019 competition is the 44th edition of the Hong Kong Sevens and is the seventh tournament of the 2018–19 World Rugby Sevens Series.

This initiative follows on from fellow tournament title sponsor Cathay Pacific’s comic and local culture led campaign activating its Hong Kong Sevens rights, launched in February, which claims ‘Nobody Does Sevens Like Hong Kong’ (see case study).

Links:

HSBC HK

https://www.hsbc.com.hk/

HSBC

https://www.hsbc.com/

https://twitter.com/HSBC

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hsbc

https://www.instagram.com/hsbc/

https://www.facebook.com/HSBC

https://www.youtube.com/user/HSBC/custom

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/sponsorship/rugby/

Grey Hong Kong