Standard Chartered's unique ad campaign on sustainability

Standard Chartered has launched a new film demonstrating the impact of carbon, highlighting the bank's commitment to tacking carbon emissions and helping clients finance a transition to net zero. According to the bank, the campaign comes on the back of its recent announcement of interim targets and detailed methodology for the pathway to net zero by 2050. Created by Omnicom Group's TBWA\Singapore and produced by production studio, Psyop, the campaign film uses elegant and captivating imagery, moving beyond the clichéd visuals typically associated with sustainability communications, said the bank. 

While the conversations around sustainability and carbon transition have been re-energised in recent months, Asheen Naidu, global creative director at TBWA\Singapore said the depiction of these initiatives in mainstream advertising is anything but fresh. "To disrupt the sea of sameness and really get the message noticed, the agency opted for a more artistic approach. Partnering with Eben Mears of Psyop, the campaign aimed to tell the story of a world under threat and visualising how Standard Chartered is working to minimise and remove that threat," Naidu explained. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Standard Chartered for additional information regarding the campaign. 

Utilising a unique production technique involving jets of food colourant in a water tank, the team created the illusion of smoke engulfing a city and its residents. As the black clouds billow through the 3D-printed underwater model, two more jets of colourant were then introduced. According to the bank, the two colours chosen were its signature blue and green brand which collided and pushed away the darkness, revealing a brighter and cleaner future. 

The film was developed without CGI and shot using a high-speed robotic motion control system, allowing the camera to move through the model city at precise angles and speeds. The jets were also carefully controlled to create sharp, vivid footage of the food colourant flowing through water at varying pressures and speeds. This in turn, resulted in a film that artistically showcases the role of the bank in transitioning to a carbon-free future, said Standard Chartered. 

“Coinciding with the recent announcement of Standard Chartered’s pathway to Net-Zero, the new campaign leverages the power of creativity to portray our commitments to tackling climate change and helping countries and businesses accelerate their transition to carbon neutrality,” said Emma Sheller, global head of brand and marketing at Standard Chartered. In keeping with the theme of the campaign, the film production had an exceptionally low carbon footprint, and the entire shoot was conducted remotely with the agency in Singapore, director in New York, and production team in Germany.