HSBC has amended the statement it allowed to be sent out on January 26 that Saatchi & Saatchi has replaced J.Walter Thompson as the lead agency on HSBC’s global brand advertising account following a competitive pitch. In a subsequent statement, HSBC has clarified that Saatchi & Saatchi has been asked to develop a “strategy-only brief”.
In a statement, HSBC said: “JWT remain valued partners on our global roster of agencies, leading our efforts in retail banking across key regions and geographies. In addition, WPP remain a key partner for HSBC globally. HSBC has not moved any creative assignments from their current agencies.”
J.Walter Thompson is currently working on two of HSBC’s sponsorship programmes, one for British Cycling, the other for the Wimbledon AELTC tennis championships.
Saatchi & Saatchi will be responsible for developing and launching a new brand positioning for the business. This will be rolled out in multichannel communications across the world, including HSBC’s global airports portfolio.
Saatchi & Saatchi London led the Publicis Communications team that pitched to win. That team included key people from Publicis Groupe agencies, including DigitasLBi and MSL Group. Specialists from across the Groupe will now form an integrated team on the business, based in the new Saatchi & Saatchi offices at 40 Chancery Lane.
Saatchi & Saatchi has been on the HSBC advertising roster since 2012, when it was appointed to the HSBC Premier and Sponsorship accounts, before adding responsibility for HSBC’s Jade, Asset Management and Insurance briefs.
Magnus Djaba, global president of Saatchi & Saatchi and chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi London, commented, “HSBC is at the forefront of change in the fast moving financial services sector and we are delighted and proud to have been chosen to help them deliver that message to global consumers.”
Here’s a glimpse of where the two agencies took HSBC in 2016:
J. Walter Thompson shows how HSBC cares about the little things that count
