HSBC
or “The world’s local bank” was one of the largest financial services and
banking organizations in the world during the 20th and 21st
century. With over 7500 offices in 87 countries, this international powerhouse
took their influence to a global level. One of their most notable campaigns
“Different Points of Value” outlined the company’s mission to celebrate all
cultures, respect all points of views and that “every individual has their own
priorities and values”(The Financial Brand).
The advertisements of this campaign include three panels of the same object, say a car, and underneath each photo read a different caption—in this case, freedom, status symbol, and polluter. The campaign highlights the idea that while one might view a car as a symbol of progress and industry, another might have just simply viewed it has a mode of transportation.
Drawing the campaign into the context of Picasso’s Violin and Grapes and Maalouf’s book, all three artifacts underline the essence of postmodernism: the accumulation of global perspectives and angles. In essence, postmodernism allows for the big jigsaw puzzle of life to be unsolved. Postmodernism moved away from art’s realism and man’s enlightenment and overall, striving towards perfection. Instead, postmodernism made room for the grays to seep in and more importantly helped create a universal melting pot of our world.
