DBS Bank decodes Union Budget into musical insights using GenAI

The campaign has been executed by FCB Interface, Mumbai.

In line with the Union Budget 2024, DBS Bank India has launched a revamped edition of it's campaign "Sounds of Budget”. This is the fifth year that the bank will be running this annual, topical campaign that uses music to create engaging and educational content, targeted at enabling the younger demographic to comprehend the complexities of the Budget announcements. This year the digital campaign is being led by FCB Interface, Mumbai, who retained the goal to demystify the Union Budget, but updated the approach, using the power of music created with the help of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Consumers can often find it hard to understand the implications of certain budget announcements or find the technical terms a bit tricky to keep up with. Most digital campaigns that attempt to explain the Union Budget use static visuals or talking head videos on social media. The Sounds of the Budget campaign opts for a more compelling route by taking real-time updates from the finance minister's announcements and transforming them into short-form rap songs with easy-to-understand lyrics, all crafted with the assistance of generative AI.

Link to the tracks : https://www.instagram.com/digibankindia/

Prashant Joshi, managing director and head of consumer Banking Group, DBS Bank India, said, “As a different kind of bank we value an unconventional approach and the fact that the ‘Sounds of the Budget’ campaign is in its fifth year is testament to how well it has been working. This year we are taking it up a notch with the help of  Gen AI to create music and lyrics in real time that help explain Budget updates in a simplified, yet relatable manner. This allows us to leverage the topicality better and spark more interest on important topics, while fostering financial literacy. Through this campaign our purpose is to equip our customers with the knowledge and tools they need to achieve their financial goals."

Speaking about the campaign, Rakesh Menon, chief creative officer, FCB Interface, said, "The 'Sounds of Budget' is a unique campaign that uses the fusion of two seemingly disparate areas - finance and music - to bring about a creative product that will hopefully capture an audience set known for their short attention spans. It underlines the fact that DBS Bank India is committed to pushing the envelope and experimenting with new formats to cut through the clutter and connect with their target user in a language they understand and enjoy.”

Agency: FCB Interface

Chief Operating Officer: Gaurav Dudeja

Chief Creative Officer: Rakesh Menon

Executive Vice President: Ruchita Purohit 

Creative Team: Maithili Mullick, Darryl Vaz, Ayush Gupta, Aaresh Sethna, Arushi Khandelwal, Freya Dholakia

Account Management: Pooja Mhatre, Surabhi Upadhyay 

Brand Team : Akash Deep Batra , Megha Manchanda, Richa Kamat, Sayali Gaikwad, Mohit Mantri