HSBC, the bank known as The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which is popular in London and the UK ran an interesting Advert in June 2022;
As pictured above, they had a person attached to some strings being puppeteered.
The Ad campaign was meant to target domestic abuse relationships in which a partner or abuser would financially dominate the relationship and control the finances of the other person. Although the ad may mean well, there are some other connotations that relate to current issues making the advert not so appealing.
So there’s been a lot of controversy and unethicality of Banks freezing services for specific accounts and essentially financially abusing targeted individuals.
On top of the recent issue with the idea of a Central Currency backed by Block Chain Technology such as a Government issued Digital Coin. The issue is that Governments would be able to control and direct what could be bought or traded through the issuance and use of Digital Coins. Essentially Governments would be abusers and financially dominate their citizenry into a new form of financial slavery.
It’s not just limited to Governments though. Banks could also issue their own form of credit and payment processing resulting in their own tokenized security or digital coins, coupled with merchant guilds that run payment processors as well, and you have the same control over what consumers can buy or sell.
So, in a perhaps daft move, this advert is a tad tone deaf.
Here are some online comments shedding some concern;
“Well there you go banks and governments”
“yeah….like digital currency”
“Wait till CBDC comes in!”
“Banks control your money. let that sink in”
“Digital currency will destroy the world”
“the government”
“Our government”
“Isn’t this a literal illustration of irony”
“that is the beginning and end of democracy”
“This describes my relationship with the IRS perfectly!!”
“taxes”
“Tell that to the banking system”
Perhaps,
A Bank shouldn’t superimpose their logo right next to hands controlling puppets on a string?
It kind of gives a bad look.
That’s sort of like putting your Logo next to a pile of skulls to talking about ‘life savings’ or some shit. Here is an example for parody and entertainment purposes only;
In Closing,
An intended good message with an implied secondary meaning, whether that secondary meaning was intentional or not. Take note and probably avoid superimposing the logo of a company next to negative connotated images.
It’s not necessarily a good look, just saying.
And it seems there’s a good chunk of people that also pick up on this second meaning. Which means a good chunk of people aren’t really enthused of the idea of movie towards government controlled and tracked currency.
*Not Valid Financial, Legal, Life, or Any Advice