HSBC and Shelter art installation highlights plight of the unbanked

HSBC has partnered with homelessness charity Shelter to launch a live out-of-home (OOH) art installation at King’s Cross Station in London.

Marketing agency Wunderman Thompson UK created what it describes as an ‘activation’ as part of HSBC’s ‘Hanging On’ campaign, which aims to highlight how support from banks can help build the personal resilience needed to prevent homelessness.

The activation took place on 22 June and featured an actor climbing an endless 3.5-metre rotating wall with the message “NO HOME. NO JOB. NO BANK ACCOUNT…” It circles to symbolise the relentless struggle people experiencing homelessness endure.

Sarah Mayall, head of brand marketing at HSBC UK, said: “Through our new partnership, and activations such as this, we hope to reach out to even more people to help them understand the importance of financial resilience and avoid the vicious circle of homelessness before they get to that point.”

The display follows HSBC UK and Shelter’s recent announcement of a multi-year partnership to help over a million people at risk of losing their home during the cost-of-living crisis and build financial resilience in local communities to help prevent homelessness.

The activation builds on the work of HSBC and Wunderman Thompson UK’s previous ‘No Fixed Address’ campaign, which launched in 2021 and has helped over 4,900 people to open a bank account and rebuild their lives after a period of homelessness.

In December 2022, Shelter launched a separate OOH campaign to highlight the harsh reality facing homeless people at Christmas.