WaveShades
Local Supply
Issue 46 | March 2018
Agency
Clemenger BBDO Sydney
Creative Team
Creative Chief Creative Officer Ben Coulson Creative Director Chris Pearce Head of Creative Technology Brendan Forster Copywriter Adam Smith Art Director Daniel Walton
Production Team
Production Head of Craft Daniel Mortenson Producer Josh Speight
Other Credits
Other Group Account Director Charlie Elliot Senior Account Director Matty Graham Senior Account Manager Niamh O'Donoghue Account Manager Brooklyn Andrews Client, Local Supply Ben McGann
Date
December 2017
Background
Young Australians saw Visa as an 'old school' financial company that was not relevant to their lives. And even when Visa did cross their mind – when they were paying for things – they were thinking of the cooler technology companies like Apple and PayPal instead. The objective for this campaign was to change perception of Visa from a payments company to a technology company with leading innovations. So the task was to talk to them in a way that a traditional ad campaign couldn't, and prove it to the audience instead.
Idea
Out of a new partnership between Visa and iconic Aussie sunglasses brand Local Supply, WaveShades were created, the world's first sunnies you could buy things with.
WaveShades retailed at $59.95 and had NFC payment capability built seamlessly in to one of the arms, so they could be used at all contactless terminals around Australia. To preload funds, customers simply linked them to their Australian bank account just like any other card. So at the beach, at festivals or when out for a run, young Australians could ditch their wallets, put on their sunnies and still be able to shop for stuff.
WaveShades were launched at Laneway, Australia's premiere music festival, using only influencers and POS as paid media. And that was all that was needed, because they took the festival by storm. In next to no time, the campaign had generated momentum all of its own, getting picked up in mainstream media and even being showcased at technology conference, SXSW.
Results
This campaign transformed Visa from a taboo topic with the youth of Australia, to one of the most talked about brands of the summer. Visa experienced a 30% increase in accounts opened compared to the previous summer, a 71% jump in brand affinity scores and a 77% increase in Visa payWave transactions at Laneway festivals. On top of this, Local Supply saw a healthy 59% uplift in overall sales.
Our Thoughts
There you have it, the perfect example of effective, modern brand communications. Look at the results. This idea grew Visa's business as well as spreading brand love. And it wasn't an ad or a campaign or an engagement. It was a thing. A very cool pair of shades but shades now with an additional function.
What I love about this idea is that it fulfils the three commands of UX. It's useful, usable and delightful.
Brands have to innovate in everything they do these days in order to remain even remotely relevant because, quite apart from developing new products and services people might like, their innovations are, in themselves, communication.