A Living River
HSBC
Issue 39 | June 2016
Agency
J. Walter Thompson London
Creative Team
Global Executive Creative Director: Axel Chaldecott Global Director in Charge: Joseph Petyan Head of JWT Live: Jonathan Terry Creative Lead and Project Director: Tom O'Donnell Creatives: Mia Silverman Sophie Browness
Production Team
Audio Producer and Director: Nick Ryan Technical Sound Design: Davey Williamson Sound Design: Laurence Green Additional Sound Recording: Terence Lloren Photographer: Sam Barker Local Producer: Yusi Cheng
Other Credits
Business Director: Luke Kenny Account Director: Tom Ring Account Manager: Gemma Swinglehurst Planner: Adam Lotz Project Manager: William Anderson
Date
December 2015
Background
In 2015 a global brand campaign was launched for HSBC aiming to inspire the audience to pursue their hopes, dreams and ambitions. HSBC harness every opportunity to demonstrate that HSBC supports human ambition – far beyond just its products and services, and into the global community. Through its water programme – a 15-year partnership with WWF - HSBC puts the Supporting Human Ambition thought into action, funding sustainability projects along five major rivers around the world. HSBC wanted to communicate this project to travellers at London's Gatwick Airport, in a transitional ambient space never used before by advertisers called the Skybridge.
Idea
HSBC have brought one of the world's longest rivers to the sky by creating an ambitious and unique sound installation in Gatwick Airport's Skybridge: 'A Living River'. The experience brings to life the entire length of the Yangtze River, from source to mouth, travelling 6,300km using sound alone, giving travellers the chance to experience authentic sounds from the river in rich detail, featuring over a 100 hours of real sounds taken directly from locations along the Yangtze. Designed to transport people from one location to another, it makes people consider water and the river in a thought provoking manner. A key component of the idea was to make the experience responsive, meaning the soundscape adapts to time of day, weather and the movement of people, making it immersive and realistic.
Results
Average rating of the experience: 7.73 out of 10. 71% said the experience rated 7 or higher. 73% said improved my experience walking through the airport. 49% 'HSBC is an environmentally conscious organisation': 49% agree 51% people said it improved the reputation of HSBC