For the work with Discover Card, it was vital to re-establish the brand and move it to a new position of supporting financial wellness and not the freewheeling spending lifestyle encouraged by their competitors.
As we looked at the challenge, it became clear that of all the major players in the credit card space Discover was the only verb, and we needed to use that to build brand awareness and create a new call to action for how they would interact with their customers to build better financial behaviors.
Pioneering Bluetooth proximity broadcasting for advertising
For the work with Discover Card, it was not only vital to re-establish the brand but to move it to a new position of supporting financial wellness and not the freewheeling spending lifestyle encouraged by their competitors. Tradition outdoor advertising and retail signage were given new life by integrating proximity-based Bluetooth and SMS messaging which was able to extend the message and content into the mobile space. A Bluetooth transmitter was embedded into the signage and sent video, images, or text up to 800 free. One example was content from an outdoor billboard in a high foot traffic location like Times Square that sent consumers a list of the 20 stores within walking distance that offer an extra 5% cashback when you use your Discover Card as well as a coupon for an additional 5% cashback on your next purchase. This was all done through Bluetooth, which had the added benefit of being free to consumers, unlike SMS, which could have an additional fee associated with the experience. This execution took outdoor advertising from a passage message to an active brand building and customer engagement tool.
Discover How
DiscoverHow.com was the centerpiece of the new national campaign that encouraged consumers to look for a better financial future to “Discover How”. Consumers were driven to the site through a national advertising buy that challenged them to find out how Discover Card would feel them with improving financial wellness. When they arrived, they could scroll through a large list of common financial concerns and find answers to those questions. They could then fill out a simple form to see how the Discover Card could help them get money back for everyday actions like paying bills.
The online video advertising campaign was not only innovative in its approach to the financial services market but also for the way the ad units interacted with each other when they were placed on the same page. The concept was credit card users making their ‘credit card statements’ that were those users talking about the common issues we all face with credit cards. The ad units were bought as a surround session, and the ads were linked together so three people in three different ad units would read their credit card statements in pieces and weave them all into a larger message. All three ad units would then resolve a common call to action and drive traffic to the Discover How microsite.
More than just advertising
