A new campaign by Interac Association aims to get people to think twice about how they pay for holiday purchases, taking on the notion that Christmas season is credit card season.
Three humorous 15-second spots feature “Holiday Bill,” a large and annoying character meant to personify a credit card statement. In the series, Bill hangs around an unsuspecting couple, commenting on shopping purchases and interrupting amorous moments.
The integrated campaign is Zulu Alpha Kilo’s first for Interac since winning the account in May. Interac’s previous marketing efforts focused on an armored truck, representing Interac’s security features. The focus now shifts to the point of difference between Interac and credit cards, said Ron Smrczek, executive creative director at Zulu Alpha Kilo. “A lot of times it’s just smarter to pay with the money you have.”
The goal of the campaign is to remind holiday shoppers that there’s no bill and 0% interest on purchases when they pay with Interac debit.
In addition to the TV spots, the campaign is supported nationally with online display ads, transit shelter ads, print ads and point-of-purchase ads at retail. The executions again focus on Interac’s 0% benefit with copy such as “0% chance of getting a bill in January” and “0% risk of paying 19.7% more than the price tag.
Media Experts handled the media planning and buying. Montreal-based Tank handled the French-language execution for the Quebec market.
The campaign will run throughout the holiday season and into the New Year.
