CommBank House at SXSW Sydney

A landmark presence, for good

Imagination turned CommBank’s SXSW Sydney presence into a practical act of public service. Inside CommBank House, an oversized padlock at the heart of the festival, audiences faced immersive challenges inspired by real-world scam tactics, helping them practise three simple defensive behaviours: Stop, Check and Reject.

Financial scams are one of the fastest-growing threats to Australians. Beyond financial loss, they erode trust in digital banking and undermine people’s confidence in everyday decisions.

At SXSW Sydney, CommBank had the opportunity to use a global stage for more than brand visibility. It needed to demonstrate leadership, make scam prevention relevant and memorable, and give Australians practical ways to identify and stop suspicious communications before it was too late.

Making protection impossible to miss

At the heart of SXSW Sydney, we created CommBank House: a bold activation shaped like an oversized padlock. The unmistakable structure turned CommBank’s commitment to customer protection into a physical landmark and invited festival-goers to learn by doing, rather than being told.

Turning pressure into a reason to stop

The first challenge recreated the urgency and distraction scammers use to force quick decisions. A fast-paced reaction wall put participants under pressure, reinforcing the importance of pausing, staying calm and refusing to act on impulse.

Training the eye to check

Participants then entered an infinity room filled with a mix of genuine and fraudulent messages. Using UV torches, they searched for hidden warning signs including typos, scare tactics and suspicious links, building the habit of checking before trusting.

Building the confidence to reject

In the final challenge, participants put their new knowledge into action through a custom touchscreen experience, swiping suspicious messages away with confidence. The journey ended in a dedicated prize room, where exclusive SXSW merchandise turned learning into a moment of achievement and empowerment.

For the audience

Over one week, over 1,400 festival-goers experienced the pressure, deception and split-second decisions behind scams in a safe and memorable setting. By practising Stop, Check and Reject, they learnt the simple but powerful strategies they could apply to suspicious communications in real life.

For the brand

CommBank transformed a high-profile sponsorship into a useful public service. The experience connected its protective tools and technology with practical action, demonstrated leadership on a growing national issue, and positioned the bank as a trusted innovator committed to keeping Australians safe.