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At a time when the United Kingdom was questioning its relationship with the world, we simply highlighted that the everyday things that make us quintessentially British are also the things that make us inescapably international. We all thrive when we're connected to something far, far bigger.

The activity launched with a 60” film called ‘Global Citizen’ that stars the Travel Man himself, Richard Ayoade, as he highlights the cosmopolitan aspects of everyday life in the UK, from enjoying piping hot Costa Rican coffees to struggling with Swedish flat-pack furniture and worshipping international football heroes.

On closer inspection, you’ll see that the ad is liberally peppered with visual references to countries from around the world – a homage to how the bank has been connecting the world through trade for 152 years.

Building from the brand platform ‘Together we thrive’, the idea was to reframe HSBC’s internationalism to make it feel meaningful and relevant to the UK: making ‘global’ less about geography and more about values. Press and outdoor executions celebrated the individuality of different cities while emphasizing their place in a global community. The message was clear, no man is an island just as the island of Britain is not detached from the international stage.