Mumbai: Standard Chartered has announced the launch of its new global brand platform, ‘Now is your time’, a call to act with confidence in pivotal moments, backed by the expertise and reach of a global bank. The platform underscores the Bank’s heritage in connecting investment, trade, and wealth corridors to opportunities across some of the world’s most dynamic markets.
The campaign’s central message is brought to life through TikTok sensation and child prodigy violinist Yeonah Kim, who features in the launch film Ode to Now, dramatizing moments of ambition, bold decisions, and achievement.
The creative, developed in partnership with Leo Singapore, highlights four characters who embody ambition and resilience: Li Wen, an affluent investor nurturing her daughter’s dream; Yeonah Kim herself, taking centre stage at a global concert; Rahul, a corporate investor who seizes market opportunities with conviction; and Zahra, an engineer who boldly pitches her vision for the future.
“Standard Chartered has deep roots in the world’s fastest-growing economies which enables us to connect our clients’ ambitions to real opportunities. ‘Now is your time’ celebrates that we’re here for those who choose to make things happen. Yeonah Kim, our incredible young violinist, has captured our hearts, and we are proud to see her take centre stage in the campaign,” said Sarah Hagan, Global Co-Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered.
As part of the production, Yeonah performed the campaign soundtrack live with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, further reinforcing the campaign’s theme of seizing the moment. Beyond the film, audiences will see more of Yeonah in behind-the-scenes and exclusive social media content.
The campaign also introduces Standard Chartered’s refreshed brand design system, creating an aspirational and consistent visual identity across all markets. Its key visuals capture the energy and determination in moments before success, celebrating grit and momentum rather than only polished outcomes.
“Financial services advertising is crowded with glossy images of success, fixated on the end result,” said Asheen Naidu, Group Executive Creative Director, Leo Singapore. “We chose instead to focus on the real-world moments that come before it — the grit, the vision, the determination. Those moments gave us a visual language and an authentic tone for the Standard Chartered brand that reflect the energy and momentum that come from having the right support.”
‘Now is your time’ will roll out globally across out-of-home, regional television, digital platforms, and premium publishers.
CAMPAIGN CREDITS:
Client: Standard Chartered
Global Co-Heads, Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing: Sarah Hagan and Eva Ang Global Head of Brand Management and Activation: Jennifer Kang
Global Head of Insight, Planning and Brand Strategy: Tim Hulbert
Global Brand Marketing Team: Shiv Taneja, Amelia Tan, Chloe Chua and Dennis Goh
Agency: Leo Singapore
Group Executive Creative Director: Asheen Naidu
Creative Directors: Gayle Lim, HuiJing Chen and Karen Muck Copy Writers: Gayle Lim, Natalie Tay and Alicia Goh Designers: Cat Chia, Jason Siew and Gary Tan
Producers: Bettina Feng, Debra Wong and Shirree Chee CEO: Joanne Theseira
Global Client Management and Delivery: Rosalind Lee, Mark Teal, Adela Andrei, Kinzah Iqbal, Kira Satwant, Madonna Koh, Maisarah Sairon and Leonda Lee
Planning Directors: Alex Erasmus and Valerie Wang
Operations Director: Michelle Tan
Production:
Director: Joshua H.
Walker
Photographer:
João Canziani
Production Houses: Clockwork Films, Squeak E Clean, Ten Eighty, Seven Sundays, Heckler and Prodigious
