The customer

HDFC Bank is one of the largest private sector banks in India, known for its innovative approach to banking and customer service. The bank has consistently prioritized customer education and awareness, particularly in the realm of financial literacy and fraud prevention. With the “End of Scam Sale” campaign, HDFC Bank demonstrated its commitment to staying ahead of the curve by addressing the emerging threat of deepfake-enabled fraud.

Website: https://www.hdfcbank.com/

Industry: Banking | Financial Services

The campaign - Lululemon EOSS

HDFC Bank’s “End of Scam Sale” campaign was a groundbreaking initiative aimed at raising awareness about online fraud and the potential misuse of deepfake technology. The campaign revolved around creating a fictitious fashion brand called “Lulumelon” and using hyper-realistic deepfake videos of popular Bollywood actress and dancer Nora Fatehi to promote unbelievable discounts and too-good-to-be-true offers.

Challenge

The primary goal was to educate consumers about the dangers of online fraud and the potential misuse of deepfake technology. HDFC Bank wanted to create a campaign that would initially deceive consumers, leveraging their optimism bias and fear of missing out on lucrative deals, to then reveal the scam and educate them.

Solution

Gan.ai played a crucial role in the campaign by creating hyper-realistic deepfake videos of Nora Fatehi. The process began with an extensive informed consent phase involving all stakeholders, especially Nora Fatehi.

Using proprietary face swap technology, Gan.ai trained generative AI models to accurately map Fatehi’s facial features, expressions, and movements. Gan.AI also cloned her voice using advanced synthesis techniques.

These deepfake videos were then seamlessly integrated into the “Lulumelon” brand’s promotional materials, including social media posts and website content.

Key results

📈 Viral campaign that generated widespread media coverage

🔍 Increased awareness about the dangers of online fraud and deepfake technology

🗣️ Sparked discussions around the ethical implications of deepfake technology

🏆 Award nominations and wins:

• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: 3 Shortlists in PR Lions and a Silver Lion in PR for Use of Events & Stunts
• Abby's 2024 Goafest: 1 Grand Prix in Use of AI category, 3 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze

Features used

• AI face swap technology
• AI-personalized voice cloning
• AI-personalized lip-sync

Delivery method

Social Media, Website

How it works

1. HDFC Bank collaborated with their creative agency FCB Kinnect to conceptualize and execute the campaign.
2. AI-personalized visual: Gan.ai created deepfake videos of Nora Fatehi, who promoted the fictitious “Lulumelon” brand.
3. AI-personalized voice cloning: Gan.ai replicated Nora Fatehi’s voice to synchronize with the deepfake videos.
4. The campaign initially deceived consumers with unbelievable offers and discounts.
5. Upon visiting the “Lulumelon” website, consumers were met with a reveal video exposing the scam and educating them about online fraud.

The results

The “End of Scam Sale” campaign achieved remarkable success, exceeding HDFC Bank's expectations. The campaign went viral, attracting widespread media coverage and significantly increasing public awareness about online fraud and the misuse of deepfake technology.

HDFC Bank reported a substantial rise in engagement on their educational content about fraud prevention. The campaign also sparked vital discussions around the ethical implications of deepfakes, positioning HDFC Bank as a thought leader in financial literacy and fraud prevention.

The campaign's impact was further recognized through several prestigious awards, including:

• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: 3 Shortlists in PR Lions and a Silver Lion in PR for Use of Events & Stunts
• Abby's 2024 Goafest: 1 Grand Prix in the Use of AI category, 3 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze

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