HSBC Funny Culture ads ( Subway, Bart, Golf )

Overview

The video is a compilation of humorous HSBC “local knowledge” culture ads, each contrasting how etiquette and expectations differ across countries and cities.

Key Segments

Subway / Commuter Etiquette

• In some Asian cities, it’s considered normal for a commuter to fall asleep on a stranger’s shoulder.
• The ad contrasts this with New York, where that behavior would be considered unacceptable—turning “rules of personal space” into a quick culture punchline.

Host Food / Clearing Your Plate

The ad plays on how the same action can be interpreted differently depending on culture:

• English tradition: Not clearing your plate is treated like a slight/insult to the host’s food.
• Chinese tradition: Clearing your plate can be taken as questioning their generosity—roughly, “Do they not have enough?”

Golf / “Hole in One” Customs

Another sports-etiquette vignette flips expectations:

• America: Scoring a hole-in-one means you’re expected to buy everyone a drink.
• Japan: The tradition is more elaborate—players are expected to give their playing partners expensive gifts.

Recurring Refrain

Each segment ends with HSBC’s message that they “never underestimate the importance of local knowledge,” reinforcing that understanding local norms is what makes their approach—and the ads—“worlds local.”

Brand Tagline

“HSBC the world’s local bank.”

Personalities

No clearly identified personalities appear from the subtitles alone.