RANDY Dives with mermaids (and other adventures) for an advertising photo library for HSBC international bank.

HSBC had ads on every airport hallway and their name on almost every gangway we took onto the airplanes to do this shoot in India, Malaysia, and Australia.

The main idea of the campaign was “local insights.” The bank caters to ex-pats and global business customers -the best way I can describe the campaign is that it was “glimpses along the way” – The scenes ex-pats see off to the side as they go from their home to their office – The places they take their friends when they come to visit.

The message HSBC wanted to get across was that they have a global footprint and they can help you get set up before you arrive in a new home/job in a new country or with whatever you can think of that global banking has to offer.

In appealing to ex-pats and global travelers, they want to get across the message that wherever you are in the world, you can get emergency cash, medical assistance and other perks with one single emergency number. They want to appeal to a culturally-aware group that has worked in two of more countries – a group that is culturally stimulated and financially astute.

So, throughout the shoot we were looking for wealth and cultural intersections – east meets west -past meets modern – a new twist on a familiar scene.

Jay Hanrahan – a great Australian cinematographer spent a month with Randy and did this promo film for HSBC International Bank about him working on HSBC advertising photography.