Introduction
Manchester United has become the most valuable brand name in sport by knowing how to leverage its iconic status across a variety of sectors – from merchandise to soccer schools. Fans identify with the brand and its values and are willing to pay a bit more in order to associate themselves with the brand.
When it comes to financial services in sport however, the situation is more complex and nuanced (after all, a credit card is a very different purchase to a replica shirt). How does an agency use the emotion of sport to create a rational purchase decision on the spot?
Strategy
Because the Manchester United Mastercard has a competitive rate and fantastic rewards package, we knew that this needed to be our key point of difference but how could we effectively communicate that to one of the world’s largest and most dedicated fan bases?
Our solution was to leverage a key iconic moment from the clubs history as a metaphor for the way a Manchester United credit card makes you feel. Our ad showcased a man who, having made his purchase with the Manchester Untied credit card, cannot control his joy at the great rate and rewards he is getting and sets off to celebrate the only way he knows how – by recreating Ryan Giggs’ iconic FA Cup goal celebrations from 1999!
The use of humour made the brand approachable and the euphoric celebration reflected just how great the rates and rewards of the card were to an audience that understood that feeling.
Above the line Promotion/Viral Marketing
The 60 second DRTV ad launched simultaneously on MUTV (Manchester United’s own television channel) and on YouTube. It produced a flurry of interest (and applications) from loyal United fans.
The Results
The humour worked well with the loyal fanbase viewers of MUTV, becoming a firm favourite on the channel. It was no less of a success online as well. The film achieved 10,000 hits on social media sites worldwide – quite an achievement for a credit card commercial with no celebrities.