The campaign’s TV commercial features a father overwhelmed by shopping. After a fantastical adventure alongside Mr. B (a stuffed monkey), the dad is all smiles as he pays for his stocking stuffer purchase by hovering his mobile phone over a “contactless payment” symbol instead of using cash, swiping a card or entering a PIN at check-out.
Everything that promotes the PayTag, from social media to an augmented reality app, is about having an experience with the campaign’s characters – and with the card. Barclaycard’s Facebook timeline is even in on the act. Its November 26 status said, “In the spirit of making Christmas shopping easier, we’ve launched a toy concierge service. Comment with your toy shopping conundrum and Mr. B will give you a suggestion for under £20.” Fans really kept Mr. B busy by soliciting his help in the comments of each post – and Barclaycard gave them an experience that matched the financial product.
Take-away #1: Build promotions that achieve business objectives.
This integrated promotion is tied to a business goal: driving purchase volume. By demonstrating the ease and convenience of contactless payment, Barclaycard broadens awareness of its product and encourages customers to use it over and over.
Take-away #2: Use social media to surprise them!
Give Facebook fans something they don’t expect. Gift suggestions from a card company? Concierge-like personal attention while considering purchases under £20? Barclaycard’s offer allowed it to be playful while still pitching a product. And as a bonus, by being so attentive to Facebook comments, Barclaycard got a conversation going with potential customers.