HSBC gets immersive with five-part real-time CNY video series

HSBC has commissioned a Chinese New Year docu-series for distribution on Facebook and Instagram stories during the holiday period. Titled #ThisIsMyCNY, the five-part series - producedby RFI Asia and in consultation with Facebook’s Creative Shop - aims to explore the perspective of millennials at CNY.The series follows the character of Hong Kong millennial Janis, as she navigates the holiday period, interacting with friends and family. It explores themes of familial connection, modern attitudes, and maintaining tradition, while also reinforcing a message about the importance of togetherness.[gallery ids="247826,247831,247832,247824"]In what the brand describes as a “micro-storytelling” campaign, a part of the series will be released each day of the CNY holiday week. As this distribution schedule mirrors the story’s timelines, the brand feels it will provide a real-time feel to the viewer across the evolving narrative and potentially a greater sense of immersion.But though the main thrust of the campaign (and part of its novelty factor) is the segmented delivery method and the use of temporary viewing spaces of Facebook and Instagram Stories, #ThisIsMyCNY will be posted to the HSBC Facebook and YouTube pages in full. The campaign has also produced supporting GIFs for use in two of Hong Kong's most popular messenger tools, Whatsapp and WeChat, to maximise social spread.David Ko, Head of RFI Asia, said, “Our team really enjoyed the millennial aspect of this project, which we believe will truly connect with this generation in an authentic way, and help the people of Hong Kong understand that while everyone has their differences, Chinese New Year is not just about tradition, it’s a time of togetherness and understanding – a message that HSBC fundamentally upholds in all they do.”HSBC’s unorthodox but intriguing use of Facebook Stories to tell a continuous marketing narrative is an interesting development following the platform’s introduction of advertising content to the feature in September last year.