Standard Chartered redefines wealth through wellness via content push

Standard Chartered has rolled out a new campaign, "WellnessNOW", positioning financial wellness as a key dimension of overall well-being.

The campaign takes shape in a three-part video series that explores themes such as breathwork, mindfulness, Ayurveda, and detox. Rather than framing them as passing lifestyle trends, the content draws parallels between these practices and how individuals approach their priorities, wealth, and daily routines.

Unlike traditional bank advertising, the series carries no direct call-to-action or product placement. Instead, it seeks to resonate with affluent consumers who are placing equal weight on emotional, physical, and mental clarity alongside financial growth.

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The first episode, "Protect what matters", runs for nearly six minutes and frames resilience as the ability to restore and renew rather than constantly push harder. It features wellness influencer Apple Mendoza, who visits Dr Marian Alonzo at a retreat to explore the role of detox. Alonzo, known for her integrative approach to health and immune support programmes, underscores the benefits of balance and recovery.

The episode also highlights executive chef Marie Pagcaliwagan, who speaks on replenishment through organic ingredients, linking the idea of detoxifying and nourishing the body with Standard Chartered’s insurance plans.

Spa director Lemoiel Senillo then weighs in on the importance of connecting with one’s inner core, while Mendoza reflects on her own experience with burnout and learning to reset.

Created in partnership with dentsu Singapore, the campaign also highlights the bank’s shift towards a data-driven media strategy. Standard Chartered is piloting AI tools to repurpose long-form video into short-form versions tailored to different audience segments, aiming to accelerate speed to market, improve cost efficiency, and adapt to cultural and regional nuances.

The bank is also testing a customer data platform (CDP) to integrate wellness into personalised client journeys, aligning messaging to where customers are in their financial lifecycle.

Designed as a full-funnel campaign, "WellnessNOW" uses retargeting cuts of the videos to re-engage viewers at various points in their journey, showing how top-of-funnel content can also drive bottom-of-funnel objectives.

“Our clients trust us with their wealth, but more so, they can also trust us to understand their broader life goals and how we can help bring balance to that. Wellness is an investment that is essential to building resilience, sustaining performance, and safeguarding long-term prosperity," said Haymans Fung, global head of marketing for wealth and retail banking at Standard Chartered. 

She added, "With 'WellnessNOW', we are showing that banks can move beyond transactional relationships to deliver deeper, more meaningful engagement that supports our clients’ holistic wellness and success.”

In tandem, Rahul Thappa, managing director, media and CXM, dentsu Singapore said, "We are proud to support Standard Chartered in shaping a campaign that reflects the evolving aspirations of today’s affluent consumers. 'WellnessNOW' is more than a content series, it is a strategic shift towards values-led storytelling, powered by AI-driven personalisation and robust data infrastructure.

He added, "By embedding market cultural nuances and customer insights into every stage of the journey, we have been able to deliver a full funnel approach that drives relevance, resonance and long-term brand trust in a highly competitive financial landscape.”

"WellnessNOW" follows "WealthNOW", a content series created with BBC Storyworks, which featured the personal journeys of six business leaders across Asia. That series put a human face to the idea of wealth, focusing on success, legacy, and failure, while staying anchored to family values, ambition, and cultural identity, said Fung in conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

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