125 years might seem an odd anniversary to celebrate – we thought so too (at first) - but for a club with so much tradition and history, any reason to recognise a milestone is welcomed. The challenge for the agency was to find a relevant and meaningful role for a bank in this celebration.
Our primary brief was to reinforce and amplify the Bank’s partnership with Liverpool FC in it’s vast and diverse global markets. 40+ in all, from Jordan to Singapore, London to Jordan, Hong Kong to Kenya and provide a way for local markets to engage customers and generate retail business.
The bank also wanted content that would increase positive engagement on Standard Chartered’s social platforms globally. And we all know how hard it can be to say something nice about a bank….
Describe the creative idea
125 years is a significant milestone. But it’s more than just a number. It’s a signifier of tradition, history and legacy. For hundreds of millions of LFC fans, it means so much more.
And no brand understands the meaning of numbers more then Standard Chartered. As one of the world’s leading global banking brands, numbers are our business.
Our creative idea took to heart the Power of Numbers. We chose to not just look back but use numbers to project forward to the future of the club. By creating a series of numerically themed stories, we would engage passion fans everywhere in a way most appreciate for a proud sponsor and world leading financial institution.
FAN INSIGHT – With almost 600M ‘Reds’ fans globally, the majority of LFC fans will never get to visit the legendary home ground, Anfield.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT – Bespoke psychographic fan research showed nostalgia as a powerful emotional driver for Tribal sports like football and appropriate for a club to look back on to celebrate. However as a progressive banking brand, Standard Chartered should always be looking forward.
CULTURAL INSIGHT – SCB’s growth markets are predominantly in Asia. In this culture, numbers have special meanings, rooted in mythology and storytelling.
STRATEGIC POSITION - Harness the power of nostalgia during the 125 Anniversary year to gain global fan attention. Then, deliver creative that leverages this attention into a forward looking, brand relevant story leveraging the mythology and history of Anfield – all whilst recognising the power of numbers in our key growth markets.