FSDC brings money to life to spotlight Hong Kong's financial edge

The Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) has launched a global campaign to reaffirm Hong Kong’s position as a leading international financial centre amid heightened global uncertainties.

Created in partnership with DDB Group Hong Kong, the initiative highlights the city’s institutional strengths as the foundation for capital growth, presenting Hong Kong as a specialised ecosystem designed to elevate capital to its highest functioning state.

Central to the campaign is a bold narrative device: “Money” is personified as the protagonist, guiding audiences through the city’s financial landscape. Four thematic films reveal Hong Kong through Money’s eyes, showing how the city fulfils the deepest needs of capital for growth, security, efficiency, and lifestyle.

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In the first film, Money discovers its most fertile ground in Hong Kong, where ambitions accelerate through enabling regulations, low taxes, and universal access to capital.

The second film explores how Money harnesses the city’s funding continuum, with banks, family offices, and ambition-fuelled capital converging to unlock potential.

In the third film, Money thrives in Hong Kong’s legal architecture, where globally calibrated safeguards, predictable transparency, and competitive efficiency support high-stakes ventures.

The final film highlights how Hong Kong attracts elite talent through its curated habitat, where nature escapes, cultural vibrancy, and seamless urban living elevate the standard of life essential for capital’s success.

The campaign comes as Hong Kong continues to demonstrate its financial leadership. In the first half of 2025, the city led global IPOs, raising around US$13.7 billion, and remains the world’s largest offshore RMB centre. Bloomberg Intelligence projects it will surpass Switzerland as the world’s largest cross-border wealth management hub by the end of 2025, managing US$2.9 trillion in cross-border wealth.

Amid global volatility, Hong Kong is also forging ahead in digital assets, next-generation wealth solutions, sustainable finance, and innovation and technology, reinforcing its status as a destination where capital does not merely reside, but actively shapes the future.

“Hong Kong shapes capital flows in ways no other financial centres can. For decades, the city has been the world’s premier financial marketplace, where businesses find capital connectivity seamless," said Benjamin Hung, chairman of the FSDC.

He added, "We need to convey our distinctive edge globally – in more confident and creative ways. This campaign is our bold affirmation, where Hong Kong plays anchor to the next era of international finance.”

In tandem, Amy Lo, convenor of the FSDC Market Development Committee, revealed the inspiration behind the initiative of embodying Money. “This video captures the essence of Hong Kong as a global financial powerhouse – where money comes to grow, ambition meets funding, and capital is protected by trusted rules and robust frameworks. We set out to create something distinctive that speaks the language of global financial stakeholders and addresses what matters most to them."

"With unmatched scale, deep liquidity, a culture of innovation, and a vibrant lifestyle that attracts top global talent, we are delivering a clear message that Hong Kong works for capital," she added. 

Adrian Tso, chief strategy officer at DDB Group Hong Kong, added, “Communications in this space often follow a familiar formula – polished messages, neutral tone, iconic skyline shots…, but in this day and age, you need to do more to get attention. We wanted to inject a bit of attitude and intrigue and really reflect the dynamic financial engine that Hong Kong is. Here, money takes on a life of its own – and so we brought it to life.” 

The city’s broader economic context further underscores the relevance of the campaign. Hong Kong’s ad spending reached HK$8.32 billion in Q2 2025, a 6% year-on-year decline attributed to global economic slowdown, shifts in consumer behaviour, and uncertainties around US tariff policies, according to admanGo.

While overall ad spend fell, the downward trend has eased, narrowing from an 8% decline in April and May to 3% in June. Monthly ad spend also showed gradual recovery, rising from HK$2.65 billion in April to HK$2.82 billion in May and HK$2.85 billion in June. As the industry adapts to changing consumption patterns, a series of large-scale summer events is expected to boost consumer sentiment and support market momentum, creating favourable conditions for promotional activities across sectors.

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