BeST
2025Filed under:
Storyboarding, Digital Learning
New York Festivals
Gold for 'Corporate Social Responsibility'
Gold for 'Employee Engagement'
EVCOM Clarion Awards
Gold for ‘Education and Training’
Silver for ‘Social Welfare’
Empathy for every voice on the line.
At the heart of this project was a desire to show how storytelling can meaningfully influence behaviour in customer-facing teams during moments that truly matter. Created for HSBC’s Bereavement Support Team and wider frontline colleagues, the film moves away from procedural training and instead places empathy, care, and human connection at its core. We produced a cinematic onboarding piece that combines poetic narration with evocative imagery of everyday life across the UK, reflecting the emotional realities and diversity of HSBC’s 14.8 million customers. Rather than instructing, the film is designed to be felt, giving new starters a powerful emotional foundation from day one. Through bold creative direction and premium production values, the piece challenges conventions within financial services, reframing onboarding as an experience rather than a task. Its impact is evident in its reach and longevity, having been shared across the organisation, featured in internal communications, adopted as a wider brand film, and embedded into future training programmes, demonstrating both its resonance and lasting value.
Credits:
Matt Pothecary – Exec Producer | Oliver Engele – Producer & Director | Charlotte Espley – Writer | Fleur Doorn – Production Co-ordinator | Danny Panthaki – Head of Production | Laurens Scott – DOP | Tanmoye Khan – 1st AC | Jakob Borges – 2nd AC | Christian Wells – Sound | Liz Adams – Editor | Evan Baul – Graphic Designer
At the heart of this project was a desire to show how storytelling can meaningfully influence behaviour in customer-facing teams during moments that truly matter. Created for HSBC’s Bereavement Support Team and wider frontline colleagues, the film moves away from procedural training and instead places empathy, care, and human connection at its core. We produced a cinematic onboarding piece that combines poetic narration with evocative imagery of everyday life across the UK, reflecting the emotional realities and diversity of HSBC’s 14.8 million customers. Rather than instructing, the film is designed to be felt, giving new starters a powerful emotional foundation from day one. Through bold creative direction and premium production values, the piece challenges conventions within financial services, reframing onboarding as an experience rather than a task. Its impact is evident in its reach and longevity, having been shared across the organisation, featured in internal communications, adopted as a wider brand film, and embedded into future training programmes, demonstrating both its resonance and lasting value.
Credits:
Matt Pothecary – Exec Producer | Oliver Engele – Producer & Director | Charlotte Espley – Writer | Fleur Doorn – Production Co-ordinator | Danny Panthaki – Head of Production | Laurens Scott – DOP | Tanmoye Khan – 1st AC | Jakob Borges – 2nd AC | Christian Wells – Sound | Liz Adams – Editor | Evan Baul – Graphic Designer
︎See more of the project here
