This year, the SMARTIES Awards continue to solidify their prestige by attracting hundreds of global campaign entries. In Vietnam alone, the program received 982 submissions, including 527 national campaigns, 265 from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, and 190 global entries. This underscores the awards’ strong appeal to both local brands and agencies.
The award is a well-deserved recognition for a creative campaign that embodies Vietnamese identity and significantly impacts business life.
Amidst this vibrant marketing landscape, the “Wise Ally: From Finance to Fortune” campaign stands out by seamlessly blending modern fintech with local cultural values. It introduces a tailored store management solution for small businesses, earning the Silver Award at SMARTIES Awards Vietnam 2025. The campaign has also advanced to the APAC finals, showcasing its creativity and influence beyond Vietnam.
Cultural Insight Meets Creative Innovation
The campaign goes beyond introducing a new product; it forges an emotional connection with business owners by creatively incorporating the Vietnamese belief in the “Five Elements Harmony.” This fusion of practical understanding and cultural symbolism sets it apart.
The result is the Wise Ally QR Collection—a banking industry first. These QR codes not only facilitate payments but also serve as symbols of luck through “Harmony Brings Prosperity.” Designed around the five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—each QR code carries a unique blessing: Metal – Wealth Flows In; Wood – Prosperity Blossoms; Water – Wealth Multiplies; Fire – Luck Ignites; Earth – Fortune Thrives.
“Wise Ally” stands out by merging modern fintech with local cultural values.
Produced with anti-counterfeiting technology and secure overlays, these QR codes ensure security and durability for business use. Customers receive a free “compatible” QR code upon registration, symbolizing good fortune and ACB’s long-term commitment to small businesses.
On August 6, 2024, dubbed “Prosperity Day,” the Wise Ally team launched nationwide. Over 3,200 ACB employees across 49 provinces introduced the solution to small businesses. Colorful QR codes appeared in markets and streets, symbolizing a new era of modern, secure, and culturally rich business practices.
A Comprehensive Digital Solution for Professional Store Management
Behind the cultural narrative lies a comprehensive tech solution. ACB transforms “accessible finance” into a practical tool for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese small businesses.
The campaign addresses the challenges of millions of small traders, restaurant owners, and shopkeepers who juggle sales, accounting, and cash management. For them, time and convenience are invaluable.
ACB developed the Store Management Solution on the ACB ONE app.
Targeting practical, cost-conscious customers who value real experiences, ACB brought technology directly to their stores. This hands-on approach built trust in the solution’s tangible benefits.
ACB developed the Store Management Solution on the ACB ONE app, enabling business owners to manage cash flow, separate expenses, and streamline operations—all on a single, user-friendly platform. Key features include:
- Multiple Prosperity Accounts on one app, each with a unique QR code for easy revenue tracking by store.
- Intuitive revenue visualization for quick decision-making.
- Transaction notifications for staff, balancing transparency and privacy.
Thus, the campaign not only introduced a new digital product but also sparked a “small business digitization movement,” empowering hundreds of thousands to embrace modern finance effortlessly.
Exceeding Expectations with Impactful Results
The “Wise Ally” campaign quickly gained traction among small businesses, embodying the spirit of “From Finance to Fortune.”
Its launch created unprecedented excitement: vibrant Five Elements QR codes adorned stores, word-of-mouth stories about “compatible codes” spread, and thousands eagerly adopted the solution.
The Wise Ally team reached 49 provinces.
Its success stemmed from genuine recommendations among business owners, amplified by a multi-channel strategy, yielding impressive results:
- 63,000 new accounts opened on launch day.
- Over 300,000 businesses registered within a short period.
- Deposits increased 15–25 times, with CASA ratios up 33% year-over-year, showcasing ACB’s brand strength and capital mobilization.
- 92 million impressions and 190% brand discussion growth, ranking ACB #1 in banking buzz for August 2024.
These numbers reflect growing trust between the bank and businesses, as technology becomes a trusted ally for efficient, prosperous operations.
The Silver Award in the “Instant Impact / Promotion” category at SMARTIES Awards Vietnam 2025 rightfully acknowledges the campaign’s creativity, cultural resonance, and real-world impact.
The “Wise Ally” campaign not only cements ACB’s leadership in banking marketing but also sets a new standard: campaigns that deliver genuine value to customers and communities, beyond product promotion.
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