MasterCard

CHALLENGE

MasterCard identified Gen-Y as an untapped market. They spend a lot of money online and they’re also a group that’s looking to take control of their finances. A Debit MasterCard is a perfect fit for this target, but how do we communicate that message to a notoriously fickle audience?

With thousands of brands competing for their attention, we needed to be smart.

RESPONSE

The Debit MasterCard Priceless Music campaign gave us a way to speak to Gen Y in their language, on their terms. MasterCard was transformed from a financial services provider into a music promoter as it hosted gigs with the world’s biggest artists – Bloc Party, Katy Perry, Good Charlotte, and

Pendulum – in the most unlikely of venues – abandoned gaols, art galleries and old train yards. Tickets were only available online with your Debit MasterCard which meant that we went beyond talking about the product benefit; we actually demonstrated it. The campaign involved TV, outdoor, street press, and an online hub with content from the shows and promotions to keep our audience hungry in between gigs.

To launch our 2011 offering, the creative was transformed with a new design and animation attitude using handmade stop motion. We even extended this in to our print work with a poster made by two of our talented art directors. Check out the “making of” video.

2011 will see more gigs and the launch of a 30-minute TV show on MTV.

RESULTS

Since the launch of the campaign we have issued over three million new debit cards and every gig has sold out, the most recent in under half an hour. Priceless.