Seylan Bank unites Sri Lankans this National Day via latest Shift Integrated film
For the 77th National Day of Sri Lanka, Seylan Bank and independent creative agency, Shift Integrated have launched a new film encouraging Sri Lankans from all ethnicities, religions, and languages to unite as one nation for one purpose.
In contrast to standard, generic, national day wishing ads, Seylan Bank wanted people to reflect on what does it truly mean to celebrate National Day — continuing building on this theme of national unity and ethnic harmony, for what would be the 5th consecutive year.
Asiri Abhayaratne, Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Sales at Seylan Bank PLC, said: “As “The Bank with a Heart”, we firmly believe in the transformative power of storytelling to inspire, unite, and uplift. This National Day, our digital film goes beyond being just a creative piece. It reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive society, where every individual plays a vital role in driving meaningful progress. Courage to change, and to stand for what we believe in has always been at the heart of who we are, and we take great pride in leading the way with industry-first initiatives that create real change. This film is a tribute to our collective resilience, hope, and the endless possibilities of tomorrow, a reminder that together, we can achieve so much more.”
“We wanted to break the conventions once again with what a bank could say during National Day. For the fifth iteration of the creative platform, we poked fun at the trope of national day imagery that show all ethnic and religious groups living in harmony, with the intention of driving conversations as to what needs to actually happen in real life versus just on the screen,” added Sandun Lakmal, Group Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Shift Integrated.
Ikram Mohideen, Chief Strategy Officer at Shift Integrated, said: ‘Sri Lanka is still slowly emerging out of a devastating economic crisis and there is a strong sentiment among Sri Lankans on genuine unity as a necessity to drive systemic reforms, revitalize the economy, ending entrenched corruption, and resolve other longstanding national issues. This year’s National Day campaign is built on this sentiment.’
The video’s ‘meta’ fourth wall breaking execution critiques superficial messaging one might find on National Day, while serving as a call to arms for people to come together for a purpose, highlighting the power in uniting across ethnic, religious, and linguistic boundaries.
The video is part of a long-running, annual campaign, whose previous executions have been recognised with multiple creative awards including the Dragons of Asia, Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, Effie Sri Lanka, SLIM Digis, The Four A’s Advertising Festival, and selected to Campaign Brief’s The Work 2024.
Digital amplification was handled by New Media Solutions.