2015 saw HSBC reach its 150th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we wanted to deliver more than just a campaign celebrating the bank’s history. We wanted to involve and excite the people of Hong Kong. So we worked with the bank to launch a banknote with a difference. Not only was it a HK$150 note, it was the world’s first official augmented reality banknote. We also developed a press, outdoor and digital campaign, all of which allowed people to activate content within the app, and directed them to the subscription website where they could apply for the note.

We wanted to bring the story of HSBC to life in an unexpected way by giving audiences a reason to subscribe to the commemorative 150 Hong Kong dollar banknote. Through a specially created app and an augmented reality function, audiences could explore the bank’s rich history in Hong Kong, unlock secrets of the note’s design, and take a 3D tour of HSBC’s four headquarters since 1865. You could try out the app on all the printed executions by scanning the notes in the ads. All touch points, from the app, to in-branch, to print drove users to the banknote application website.

Within two days of the note’s announcement, the HSBC anniversary app reached No.1 in the Hong Kong app store. Subscription to the banknote was heavily oversubscribed, receiving more than 8.75 million applications, with special commemorative sets being oversubscribed 65 times. As a result of this overwhelming response, HSBC cancelled the digital and print media two weeks before the campaign was due to end. All profits from the banknote sale are going to local charities, and while no figure is yet available, it’s already clear that it has exceeded all expectations.