Client:
HSBC
Date:
2025
Role:
Creative
Channels:
OOH, Social, Earned Media
Problem
International students spend mental energy converting every price back to their home currency. New costs in unfamiliar currencies leave them confused and anxious about everyday spending. The constant math makes adjusting harder.
Truth
Students don't need another currency converter. They need to understand what things actually cost in terms that feel real and relatable from their own lives.
Idea
The 'Realistic Converter' translates unfamiliar prices into everyday experiences from home. Instant context.
Launch Hook
OOH campaign placed in university districts and transport hubs where international students navigate daily spending decisions. The executions stop students mid-conversion with immediate cultural relevance.
Press Angle
HSBC's heritage as 'The World's Local Bank' makes this positioning authentic. Education and fintech media cover the human-centric approach to financial anxiety. The insight resonates beyond banking into broader student experience stories.
Social Conversation
Students share their own 'realistic conversions' comparing costs between countries. The format becomes a meme template. User-generated versions spread organically as students relate prices to their specific home contexts.
Influencers
Partner with international student influencers and study-abroad content creators who already document cost-of-living comparisons. Their audiences actively research these questions and engage with practical financial content.
