Marketing Events Awards Hong Kong 2024 winners unveiled

Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Leo Burnett Hong Kong have won big at the Marketing Events Awards Hong Kong 2024 and were crowned Best of Show – Brand and Best of Show – Agency respectively.

Designed to recognise outstanding event marketing efforts that have reshaped the marketing landscape across North Asia, the awards saw plenty of excited industry experts gather at Kowloon Shangri-La on 11 July to compete for recognition for their outstanding works. All entries were carefully evaluated by an independent panel of 19 senior and brand-side marketers.

See the full list of winners here.

See the full jury here. 

Standing out from the crowd, and impressing the jury was Standard Chartered Hong Kong which took home seven trophies, including four golds, two silvers and one bronze. The campaign which wowed the judges, and helped to bag the golds was "Travel to the fullest. Live life to the fullest.”

The campaign, which ran from December 2023 to April 2024, aimed to bridge the gap beyond cards to full-spectrum travel banking among affluent and high net worth (HNW) travellers. This included the bank's suite of banking services, such as foreign exchange (FX) rewards, multi-currency debit cards, and Asia Miles time deposits.

To decode the minds and habits of its target audience, a study named "Hong Kong affluent travel study 2024" was commissioned. The result found that they anticipate taking eight trips per year, are willing to spend HK$150k per long-haul trip, and value premium privileges such as airport lounge access and priority boarding. They also sought invigorating, tailor-made travel experiences in uncharted territories that enabled deep immersion in local culture.

Therefore, the core strategy of the campaign was to merge the target audience's twin passions for art and travel, presenting a grand, travel-themed immersive experience that went beyond conventional advertising.

The campaign was done in partnership with the Best of Show - Agency winner Leo Burnett Hong Kong, which also bagged four gold awards, two silver awards, and one bronze award.

To synchronise with major art events and maximise the impact, the campaign event was timed with Art Month in March 2024. Its rollout enveloped strategic initiatives, such as being the official sponsor of Hong Kong Holiday and Travel Expo 2024, hosting an exclusive travel seminar with celebrities, and creating bespoke Chartered Flight experience for VIP clients. 

Furthermore, the campaign invited local artist Ivana Wong to create a series of immersive experiences “SC presents: JOURNEY・REIMAGINED” that transported people to popular locations such as Japan, and Norway, amongst others. Participants could feel as if they were boarding a plane and stepping into an cabin, where they were then transported into immersive dreamscapes through sights and sounds. These dreamscapes were inspired by the Wong's dream holiday, with her voice acting as a guide, and were generated by AI artists.

The campaign also built a lifelike airport setup complete with check-in and boarding experiences at K11 MUSEA. An immersive airplane theatre transported visitors through AI-generated dreamscapes tailored to affluent preferences, such as Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing reimagined with surreal tranquillity and cyber-punk koi fish.

To amplify buzz, the campaign harnessed the power of KOLs whose shared stories sparked conversations. Attendees were encouraged to share their experiences online, providing them with personalised videos to spread the word, ensuring the event's digital echoes reached beyond the physical space.

Coupled with being the title sponsor of TVB’s travel programme and a diverse mass ad spread, this campaign set the stage to showcase Standard Chartered Hong Kong's comprehensive travel banking experience, drumming excitement and driving home the message: embarking on your luxury journey begins with Standard Chartered.

This year, the competition was incredibly tight with over 440 entries across 35 categories and a total of 109 trophies awarded to the leading brands and agencies across the regions at the ceremony. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE would like to thank the esteemed panel of judges for their time in judging the entries. 

We would also like to congratulate to all the finalists who have achieved remarkable success. We are confident that this year's awards have set the stage for exciting and innovative initiatives within the industry in the years to come.

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