ABOUT

Rates of homelessness in the United Kingdom have skyrocketed in the past ten years. Figures from Shelter, a local homeless charity, show that in 2019 at least 280,000 people were homeless, with almost 4,600 sleeping rough. Since then, COVID-19 has inflicted enormous economic hardship on the world. In the UK alone an additional 70,000 households have been made homeless since the pandemic began, with tens of thousands more at risk. Without a fixed address they find themselves in a lose-lose situation where not having a home makes it virtually impossible to open a bank account, which makes it harder to receive benefits, harder to secure a job, harder to find a home. It’s a vicious circle. HSBC UK partnered with Shelter, a homeless charity, to create the No Fixed Address Service. The bank provides bank accounts for the homeless and the charity provides the address needed on the necessary paperwork. This allows the homeless to break the cycle of financial exclusion. To raise awareness amongst those who may need the No Fixed Address Service, and those who might be able to help, we dramatised the cycle of financial exclusion the homelessness face daily in TV, Cinema, and Online video. To maximise the ad’s visibility, we launched it on Celebrity Gogglebox as part of a special ad break. It alone delivered 12.7m views. The No Fixed Address Service appeared in the top 5 drivers of positive buzz for the first time – positive buzz is generally driven by word of mouth (recommendations), customer service, and HSBC’s advertising. HSBC UK saw a 10% uplift in positive brand affinity as a direct result of the campaign. What started in 1 branch has spread to 144 nationwide – with HSBC UK now partnering with over 204 local charity partners who can act as an identity verifier.