Standard Chartered tackles carbon emissions through captivating spot via TBWA\Singapore
Standard Chartered has launched a new film via TBWA\Singapore that boldly demonstrats the impact of carbon, while highlighting the bank’s commitment to tackling carbon emissions and helping clients finance a transition to net zero. The campaign comes on the back of Standard Chartered’s recent announcement of interim targets and detailed methodology for pathway to net zero by 2050.
Produced by Psyop, the campaign film uses elegant and captivating imagery, moving beyond the clichéd visuals typically associated with sustainability communications.
“While the conversations around sustainability and carbon transition have been reenergised in recent months, the depiction of these initiatives in mainstream advertising is anything but fresh,” said Asheen Naidu, global creative director at TBWA\Singapore. “To disrupt the sea of sameness and really get our message noticed, we opted for a more artistic approach – partnering with the brilliant Eben Mears of Psyop, to tell the story of a world under threat and visualizing how Standard Chartered is working to minimize and ultimately remove that threat.”
The team used a unique production technique involving jets of food colourant in a water tank, creating the illusion of smoke engulfing a city and its residents. As the black clouds billow through the 3D-printed underwater model, two more jets of colourant are then introduced – this time Standard Chartered’s signature blue and green brand colours – colliding and pushing away the darkness and creating a brighter and cleaner future.
The film was developed without CGI and shot using a high-speed robotic motion control system, allowing the camera to move through the model city at precise angles and speeds. The jets were also carefully controlled to create sharp, vivid footage of the food colourant flowing through water at varying pressures and speeds. The result – a stunning and captivating film that artistically showcases the role of the bank in transitioning to a carbon-free future.
“Coinciding with the recent announcement of Standard Chartered’s pathway to Net-Zero, the new campaign leverages the power of creativity to portray our commitments to tackling climate change and helping countries and businesses accelerate their transition to carbon neutrality.” said Emma Sheller, global head of brand and marketing at Standard Chartered.
In keeping with the theme of the campaign, the film production had an exceptionally low carbon footprint, and the entire shoot was conducted remotely with the agency in Singapore, director in New York, and production team in Germany.
VIEW THE BEHIND THE SCENES FILM
Credits
Client: Standard Chartered
Creative Agency: TBWA\Singapore
Production: SixToes.TV
Executive Creative Director: Andy Grant
Global Creative Director: Asheen Naidu
Chief Strategy Officer: Robin Nayak
Global Business Lead: Melissa Hill
Group Brand Director: Benoit Freyburger
Brand Director: Ash Chaudhry
Strategy Director: Michele Bouquet
Art Director: Roxane Wee
Copywriter: Dan Chia, Julian Gutierrez
Associate Brand Director: Sarah Teh
Brand Manager: Jayne Rajendran, Sheryl Chua
Brand Executive: Priscilla Lim, Seana Carter, Kira Satwant
Strategy Executive: Lisa Oon, Zhang Weitian
Content Creators: Akanksha Nair, Danial Khalis
Agency Executive Producer: Sariyanti Sannie
Agency Producers: Fiona McGregor, Deena Shareena K, Zahid Zameer, Clio Goh
Senior Retoucher: Arris Wong
Film Production: Psyop
Director: Eben Mears
Executive Producer: Eve Strickman
Executive Producer Live Action: Noah Goldsmith
Head of Production: Andrea Panda
Line Producer: Laura Morris
Director of Photography: Francois Starr
