HSBC + Royal Canadian Legion Pay Tribute

Every Remembrance Day in Canada for the last 100 years, members of the armed forces, veterans and volunteers sell lapel pin poppies to support Canadian veterans and their families in need of financial assistance.

But fewer and fewer people are seen wearing them and buying them as the donation boxes only accept cash and we as a society are moving to a more cashless economy.

At the same time, there is a rash of thefts associated with these boxes each year as they contain money - sadly making them a target for thieves.

This year added an additional challenge, that the fundraising would have to be done without subjecting our most vulnerable to risk of contracting Covid-19. A safer way to donate was needed.

By redesigning the iconic Poppy Box as a completely tap enabled, contactless and cashless experience we knew we could drive more sales of poppies overcoming the cashless barrier and in light of the global pandemic, make those most vulnerable less so by not asking them to handle any currency which might be carrying the virus.

We needed an unattended solution that could operate as both a reminder of the sacrifices our veterans have made and also a means of carrying on the tradition of selling lapel pin poppies.