Richard Ayoade draws the line for HSBC

HSBC is aiming to open up a world of opportunity in its new campaign which explores some of the borders to those opportunities which exist within our society.

Created by Wunderman Thompson London and directed by James Rouse through Outsider, the spot follows on from the bank's We Are Not An Island messaging last year. The topical 60-second spot once agains stars Richard Ayoade and sees the British comedian point out that, while some borders can be useful, it’s not always the case.

We watch Ayoade outlining a football pitch with a traditional-looking white line marker, before veering off and dividing spectators, underlining one of the biggest barriers to opportunity, the racial divide. He then walks his line marker across the glass ceiling of a building calling out gender inequality, through the living room of a family who aren’t listening to each other, through a freshly painted ‘No Entry’ road marking, and across the stage at a major conference where nerves fail to hold the young presenter back, before ending up at a busy port. 

“The UK’s future opportunities need to be different to its past," said Mike Watson, Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson. "The country and its people have so much to offer and achieve if we can level the playing field and create equal opportunity for all. The campaign reflects the nation’s desire for change and helps highlight that HSBC isn’t too big to care, but rather that it’s big enough to help make a difference.”