DBS looks to launch creative pitch

DBS is looking to launch a creative pitch, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE understands. The remit would cover the Asia Pacific region including the Singapore and Hong Kong markets.

The pitch comes shortly after DBS appointed Audrey Kuah as its group marketing and communications head in January this year. DBS had then said that Kuah will strengthen DBS’ bank‑wide marketing approach. She will also advance the bank's "One bank, one brand" ambitions through impactful communications aligned with DBS’ mission and goals.

Kuah is a seasoned leader in marketing and media with over 25 years of experience at global agencies namely J Walter Thompson, Dentsu and WPP covering Asia. She covered financial services that included Citi International Personal Banking, Standard Chartered Bank and OCBC.  Most recently, she was APAC co-CEO of VML and CEO of Wunderman Thompson APAC, where she drove transformation using data and technology. Prior to that, she held several senior roles at Dentsu International including executive director, media practice, APAC; managing director, Global Data Innovation Centre; client chief officer, SEA; and CEO, Aegis Media Singapore.

Don't miss: Former VML CEO Audrey Kuah joins DBS as group marketing and communications head 

Meanwhile, a longstanding pillar of DBS’ marketing was its “Trust Your spark” campaign, which has run across key Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. In a previous interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Karen Ngui, DBS’ former head of group strategic marketing and communications, said the campaign was born from the idea that “we can be braver when we are safer, with a trusted partner at our side.”

Ngui added that the campaign’s central message unified DBS’ broader “Live more, bank less” positioning across consumer and business banking, as well as the DBS Foundation. The term “spark” was meant to capture the instinct, belief, and purpose that drove individuals to pursue their aspirations and live meaningfully.

The campaign had delivered notable local activations. In Singapore, it went full speed ahead when DBS hijacked the tagline to celebrate athlete Maximilian (Max) Maeder after he won bronze in kitefoiling at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The ad ran on the front page of The Straits Times on 10 August, a day after Maeder’s victory, with the tagline playfully altered to read: “Trust your spark to the Max, Singapore.”

The campaign was also referenced in DBS' web series, titled Sparks. The most recent fourth season of the series, released in July last year, turned the spotlight on scams targeting vulnerable groups and the barriers faced by persons with disabilities. The new season was also inspired by true stories from DBS clients and employees.

In Hong Kong, DBS brought the campaign to life with an AI-powered photo generator tour from 5 to 20 August 2024. The mobile experience used Gen-AI to create personalised previews of participants living out their dreams as musicians, athletes, artists or other ambitions, with the goal of inspiring especially younger audiences.

Visitors could take home a printed photo, redeem a portable fan, and share their dream selves on social media using #TrustYourSpark for a chance to win prizes. The bank also amplified the initiative online with a column featuring real-life stories from customers, employees, and community partners who embody the campaign’s spirit of belief and limitless potential.

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