HSBC captures the spirit of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens with new serious play television push

March 21 2013, 9:37 am | BY Lynchy | 1 Comment

Mint.jpgHSBC 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.

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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.

Mint2.jpgThe 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.

Mint3.jpgAndrea 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.”

Credits – 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, Final Cut London. Sound: Dan Weinberg at Greek Street Studios.