DBS mates celebrity Louis Koo and WeChat for 'Black' card launch

The card officially launched on 28 October.

Rebecca Li, head of marketing and marketing communications at DBS Hong Kong, told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the bank chose Koo for his cool image and positive personality. "He seems quite adventurous, and he also has a nice tan, which fits our product,” she said.

It's the first time the celebrity has engaged in a brand endorsement for a bank. He has recently appeared in campaigns for Samsung and PCCW in Hong Kong, as well as a wide range of other products.

To leverage Koo’s strong social-media influence, the campaign's WeChat platform will have creative elements including "emotion greeting cards" and a series of voice greetings. The effort represents the first WeChat promotion by a bank in Hong Kong, according to DBS.

Koo has recorded several voice messages that the bank will deliver to consumers using WeChat's audio-messaging function. "We don’t want to make it too hard-selling," Li said. So in addition to products, Koo speaks about "his penchant for black coffee—to sync with our black product", she added.

The campaign will include online banners on key social-media platforms including Facebook, where DBS Hong Kong has 50,000 followers. Target customers for the new card are high-net-worth consumers who love travelling, Li said.