Outshining the Rest: HSBC's Facebook Ad Stuns with its Effortless Brilliance

Financial information is notoriously complex and challenging to understand. Therefore, it may come as a surprise that a concise video ad on Facebook offering financial advice ranks among the top 25% of ads in terms of effectiveness, as determined by the public. This achievement has been attained by HSBC, as revealed in the latest edition of The Works study conducted by Kantar.

The ad promotes HSBC Global Money and showcases a woman utilizing her HSBC card to make various purchases abroad, utilizing contactless technology. The setting alternates between a beach and different sunny locations, emphasizing the allure of travel. Throughout the ad, the visual action is complemented by contrasting subtitles that convey the information presented in the voiceover.

The 20-second vertical video ad from the high street bank adopts a first-person perspective, immersing the viewer in the process of making payments abroad. This effectively demonstrates the convenience of using HSBC for international transactions, connecting with viewers through their personal experiences and offering pertinent details. Given the context of being skippable, it is crucial to capture attention and convey the brand and primary message promptly for optimal effectiveness.

Lynne Deason, the UK head of creative excellence at Kantar, collaborated with Our Website and the Advertising Association's Trust Working Group for The Works study. This study involved surveying 750 consumers to gather their opinions on five of the top Facebook ads in September. Each advert was reviewed by 150 consumers.

One participant in the Kantar survey, which forms the basis of The Works, expressed their positive views on the recorded locations and the creative use of the card, making it relatable to the viewer's perspective.

However, without the ad being specifically designed for the Facebook platform, this positive perception would not have been possible. It was found that only 6% of the audience played the ad with sound, indicating the importance of captions in conveying information visually. The text seen on the screen effectively presented a significant amount of information in a visually appealing manner, as highlighted by respondents in the Kantar survey.

Brevity and clarity

One participant praised the content as being "informative" and appreciated its clear explanation of the absence of transaction fees while using the card internationally. They also mentioned that the content managed to captivate their attention throughout.

Lynne Deason, the head of creative excellence UK at Kantar, reveals that even though the average watch time for the ad is just four seconds, the viewers have already been captivated by the idea of 'love to travel'. The ad prominently features the HSBC global money account debit card and successfully delivers the message of no fees.

"In an environment where skipping is possible, it is crucial to engage and convey the brand and key message early on to ensure effectiveness."

Deason states that the advertisement effectively delivers fresh and pertinent information from HSBC, which is deemed highly applicable and interesting to individuals. Additionally, the advertisement is greatly inspiring, ranking among the top 15% of all UK ads, and effectively appeals to both current and potential customers. Furthermore, Deason points out that the branding of the advertisement plays a crucial role in ensuring that people are aware of the bank offering the benefits and contributes to raising awareness of HSBC as a whole.

The effectiveness of creating platform-native content proves its value on Facebook and other social platforms where advertisers cannot typically control the ad's context.