Richard Ayoade Calls Out the ‘F’ Word for HSBC UK’s New Global Money Account

Wunderman Thompson UK highlights HSBC UK’s expertise as the go-to provider for international banking in a new campaign which once again features Richard Ayoade.

The integrated campaign promotes HSBC UK’s Global Money Account, which allows customers to spend and send money around the world in multiple currencies – with no HSBC fees or minimum balances. It comes with a dedicated travel debit card, free ATM withdrawals and unlimited spend abroad, as well as allowing customers to convert, hold or send money with competitive exchange rates to over 200 countries worldwide. The launch of the campaign comes as HSBC UK is expanding its international products and services - to help solve the current financial frictions that customers experience when or banking cross borders or moving abroad.

The campaign emphasises that fees are the ‘dirty word’ in travel, but with an HSBC UK Global Money Account, you can drop the ‘F word’ (fees) around the world, making it clear once again that HSBC UK breaks down borders that get in the way of opportunity.

Launching today activity will run across TV, video on demand, cinema, OOH and radio. The 60” and 30” TV spots, as well as the radio ads, feature Richard Ayoade travelling and spending money without worrying about the extra costs, dropping the ‘F’ word as he does so.

In his unique style, Ayoade strides around the world, approaching everything with his trademark humour, and making it very clear that you will pay no HSBC fees overseas with a Global Money Account.

Ayoade starts at a train station before travelling to a tropical beach, an Indian city, a Moroccan souk, an alpine ski slope, and a watering hole in the Outback. At every destination, he uses his Global Money Account to make purchases, with the ‘beep’ of the card machine bleeping out the ‘F’ word in travel – fees.  The ads close with the words, “HSBC UK. Opening up a world of opportunity.”

The OOH ads ladder up to the TV creative, showing a variety of different people enjoying their travel adventures, whether skydiving, ice swimming, or hanging out by the pool, and all carrying the lines “We’re dropping the F word around the world” or “No fE£$.” The ads will feature across key travel hubs, including rail and tube, putting HSBC UK front-of-mind while people are on the move.

The entire campaign was shot in the UK, repurposing locations and enhancing them with CGI. The Spanish beach scene, for example, was shot at Camber Sands in East Sussex; with the sand dunes, palm trees and beachside hotels in the background being created in CGI.

Mike Watson, creative director at Wunderman Thompson, said: "Travel should be fun and untainted by hidden fees. That’s the brief we set ourselves; how can we make people smile while demonstrating the key product benefit of paying no fees overseas. A 60-second product demonstration around the world with Richard should do the trick."

Becky Moffat, chief marketing officer, HSBC UK, said: “Now more than ever, we’re proud to be able to use our global network to offer solutions that will help our customers to save money when they are travelling, sending or spending money overseas. We’re thrilled to be launching our Global Money Account with such a fun and stand out marketing campaign.”