Interview: Karen Ngui on what sparked the idea of trust behind DBS' regional campaign

Recently, DBS Bank has unveiled a new regional brand campaign titled "Trust your spark". The campaign aims to inspire people to believe in themselves and make their dreams a reality. It also conveys the message that there is a spark within each person that allows them to live more fully when they trust in themselves and lean into their potential.

The multi-year regional brand campaign started rolling out progressively from June 2024 across its six key markets including Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. In an interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Karen Ngui, DBS' head of group strategic marketing and communications said that "Trust your spark" was born from the idea that "we can be braver when we are safer, with a trusted partner at our side."

"It is also a rallying call that unifies our 'Live more, bank less' messaging across all parts of the group - from consumer and business banking to the DBS Foundation," said Ngui. According to Ngui, the word ‘spark’ speaks to the instinct, belief and purpose that resides in an individual and which galvanises him or her to achieve their dreams and aspirations and to live meaningfully and purposefully.

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"'Trust your spark' has a duality. We hope it resonates with the individual, encouraging them to stay true to the courage of their convictions and believe in themselves and to also lean into their family, friends, support networks, including their bank," added Ngui. 

The campaign highlights real stories of individuals and companies who believed in their inherent spark to showcase purpose in action. All of whom, were enabled in some way or the other by DBS. These profiles include 17-year-old two-time kite foiling world champion Max Maeder, a DBS employee, an elderly DBS customer and founders, among others.

In addition, "Trust your spark" also acts as an extension of the brand's promise "Live more, bank less", which was launched in 2018 during DBS' 50th anniversary. 

"To borrow the words of Dickens, we are now living in the best and worst of times. We live in a time when technology and digitalisation have significantly transformed our lives for the better. But at the same time, these have also given rise to emerging risks and issues such as misinformation and scams. The gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened, while climate change continues to accelerate, posing an existential threat to our shared planet," said Ngui. 

"Amid growing uncertainty, we believe that DBS’ promise to help the people we serve live more, bank less, continues to hold true, more than ever before. Therefore, we wanted to showcase inspirational stories of individuals/organisations who are living life to the fullest, regardless of their circumstance," she explained.

Ngui added that being purpose-driven is part of DBS’ DNA, and that the bank believes it can harness its capabilities in finance and technology, together with its people, to positively impact families, businesses, and communities, empowering them to live ‘more’ in every way.

Earlier in July, the bank announced a multi-year partnership with kite foiler Maeder ahead of his debut at the Paris Olympic Games. In an interview-style video with DBS CEO Piyush Gupta and Maeder, the pair discussed the parallels between the bank and athletes, and how being empowered to overcome doubt and aim high enabled the organisation and kite foiler to perform at their highest level. Throughout the interview, both Gupta and Maeder emphasise on "trusting their spark" too. 

"Take Max Maeder for example. The reason behind DBS throwing our weight behind Maeder to support his sporting ambitions is that we see similarities in him and the bank, as he, too, is guided by a strong sense of purpose, passion for excellence in his sport, as well as a desire to give back to society," said Ngui. 

"We hope 'Trust your spark' with these real human stories will inspire everyone in the community to believe in their own spark and live undauntedly with purpose and meaning," she added. 

Following Maeder's bronze-medal Olympic win, the bank hijacked “Trust Your Spark” with a congratulatory message. The ad appeared on the front page of the Straits Times on 10 August, one day after Maeder's win. In it, DBS changed to its “Trust your spark” tagline to read, "Trust your spark. To the Max, Singapore." 

The ad saw Max's name underlined in DBS' signature red, drawing focus to Maeder's win. At the bottom of the ad, it read, "There's a spark in you. Whatever happens on the outside, inside you're focused, steady and ready for life."

"Trust your spark" first kicked off in June with the soft launch of the campaign website, as well as editorial partnerships with The Straits Times and Her World magazine. A campaign video was also launched on free-to-air national TV in the first week of August to coincide with the Olympics and National Day. 

Out of home ads were also released to amplify the campaign. This includes bus wraps and wall wraps featuring Maeder and the campaign's tagline. 

To tie in with the bank's 56th anniversary, a pop-up at Marina Bay Financial Centre was also held where activations were run in its DBS Asia Central and DBS Asia Hub offices. Response was overwhelmingly positive with over 1,000 employees participating in the activities, said Ngui. She added that it is still early days for the campaigns and that the bank is encouraged by the responses so far. 

According to Ngui, the videos featuring Maeder are doing well on social media, noting that the success is due to the strength of each profile. "I want to thank each individual who gave us the opportunity to tell their story and inspire others." That said, with the campaign kicking into full gear and a bulk of marketing assets to be rolled out in August, DBS is expecting an uptick in public awareness of "Trust your spark". 

"We are also planning more original content in the coming months and are confident that 'Trust your spark' will resonate with the public, positioning us as a bank that is focused on enabling and empowering our communities," added Ngui. 

While Gupta, similar to Maedar, played a key role in the "Trust your spark" campaign, it was reported in August 2024 that the CEO will be stepping down after 15 years at the bank. 

He will be succeeded by DBS banker Tan Su Shan as of March 2025 which is the date of the bank's next annual general meeting, according to a statement by DBS.

Gupta has been a well-known figure at DBS for many years. Some of the biggest campaigns that have happened under his charge was when DBS changed its tagline from “Living, Breathing Asia” to “Live more, Bank less”, the former being the company’s brand promise since 2006.

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