HSBC Canada hosted a night of the unexpected to launch a new credit card

Newsroom Events, Marketing

On September 26, 2019, HSBC Bank Canada organized An Evening of the Unexpected, which turned The Great Hall in downtown Toronto into an immersive live event featuring unexpected performances, one-of-a-kind culinary creations and the venue’s surprise transformation into three completely different worlds.

The event marked the official launch of the HSBC +Rewards MasterCard, a credit card that goes beyond what’s expected. It’s a credit card that offers one of the lowest interest rates in the market with a rewards program. Cardholders also get 2X rewards on eligible dining and entertainment. Plus, the card’s unique design glows under black light. 

The theme of the event, An Evening of the Unexpected, was carefully orchestrated to keep guests, members of the press, and notable food and lifestyle influencers in the dark until they arrived and found themselves immersed in the experience.

Guests were welcomed into a lush Mediterranean courtyard, complete with actors, musicians and dancers. After a quick set changeover, the venue turned into an eccentric European supper club. Later on, curtains were pulled back to reveal a fluorescent Asian street market hidden underneath the balcony, kicking off a black-lit dance party that lasted until the end of the night.

Throughout the event, guests were treated to a menu of unexpected dishes—squid ink hot dog, anyone?—from Toronto’s Food Dudes. Attendees shared their favorite bites, performances, and Instagrammable moments using #HSBCPlusRewards.

“You wouldn’t expect hip-hop mimes, heavy metal accordion players or eight-foot-tall LED robots with smoke cannons for arms at a credit card launch, but the unexpected is at the heart of this new product,” says Ari Elkouby, Executive Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson Canada.

HSBC’s new “Unexpect More” campaign encourages millennials to choose a credit card that gives them more than they expect instead of settling for the status quo. The campaign and event were created by Wunderman Thompson Canada with media support from Touché!.

Wunderman Thompson is a creative, data and technology agency built to inspire growth for its clients and people. Our experts deliver end-to-end solutions at a global scale with an entrepreneurial spirit that infuses creativity with emerging technology to deliver revolutionary work. Headquartered in New York, we are a worldwide agency bringing together over 20,000 people in 90 markets across the globe.

Touché! is Canada’s most recognized and award-winning media agency on the Canadian and international media scene. From its offices in Montreal and Toronto, Touché! advises leading national advertisers on the best ways to use the media by combining the power of data with compelling creativity. Touché! is an integral part of Omnicom Media Group.