Visa launches mobile payments campaign starring Ronny Chieng as momentum for the technology continues to build
01/22/2019
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), the global payments technology company, today launched a campaign to educate Australians about the convenience and security of mobile payments. Called ‘Urban Survivalist’ the campaign features comedian, Daily Show Correspondent and Crazy Rich Asians actor Ronny Chieng, following him as he pays his way around Sydney using just his mobile phone.
Jac Phillips, Head of Marketing for Visa in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific said while there’s strong demand for mobile payments among Australians, there is still some uncertainty about how they work and where.
“Australia is a nation of tappers – 94% of Visa’s face-to-face transactions are tap to pay1. Yet not all Australians know where they can pay with their mobile. They don’t realise they work just as cards to, at all contactless terminals. The one thing that most Australians have on them at all times is their phone so being able to use it to pay is great for consumers and retailers alike.
“We identified an opportunity to educate Australians about the convenience and security of the many mobile and wearable solutions available today. Protected by multiple layers of security, mobile payments really do make life easier for those of us constantly on the go,” said Ms Phillips.
Urban Survivalist comprises three episodes and will air across TV, digital, cinema and outdoor from 21 January 2019. Directed by award-winning Australian television director, Erin White, the campaign was developed by creative agencies BBDO Sydney and New Zealand, in partnership with comedian Ronny Chieng and comedy writer Declan Fay. The paid media strategy was developed by Starcom.
“Urban Survivalist is a fun reality TV show spoof that aims to educate consumers around the benefits of paying with Visa on your mobile. We hope Australians will enjoy watching it, as much as we enjoyed making it,” added Ms Phillips.
Visa promotes mobile payments in Sydney with 5 cents coffee
In addition to the new content series, Visa is encouraging Sydneysiders to activate mobile payments by selling coffee for 5 cents to anyone paying with Visa on their mobile, from a cart at Manly Wharf. The activation will run each day Monday 18 February and Friday 22 February between 6.30am and 9am.
Urban Survivalist:
1VisaNet, June 2018
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews.
About Ronny Chieng
Ronny Chieng is a Chinese stand-up comedian and actor born in Malaysia, raised in the USA and Singapore, who graduated from the University of Melbourne in Australia in 2009 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce. Ronny started performing comedy in Melbourne in 2009. Since then he has hosted four sold out global stand-up comedy theatre tours, and made his US television debut on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2015. In Australia, Ronny has written and acted in multiple television comedy shows such as Problems (2012), Legally Brown (2014), It’s a Date (2013-2014), Kinne (2015) and more. In 2016, he co-created and starred in his own TV comedy pilot “Ronny Chieng: International Student” on ABC (Australia) which won Short Film Production of the Year at the 16th Screen Producers Australia Awards and was nominated for Best Comedy Programme at the Asian Television Awards 2016 in Singapore. In 2015 Ronny moved to New York City after being hired as a correspondent on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central. In 2017, he was casted in the Warner Bros. film "Crazy Rich Asians" based off the best-selling book by Kevin Kwan.
About Erin White
Erin White is well-known for her career directing television comedy on shows such as Sando, Squinters, It’s A Date, and At Home with Julia. With a solid pedigree in drama thanks to her short films, which travelled widely to festivals such as Sundance, and received multiple AFI nominations and awards world-wide, Erin’s strength is her ability to get great performances from her actors across many styles of work. Erin’s work can be characterised by an arresting visual approach and seamless storytelling in both drama and comedy. She began her commercials career in 2010 with three spots for Austar and has focused on her television career since then. 2018 marked Erin’s return to commercials.