Contact. Less
Barclaycard
Issue 56 | September 2020
Agency
Oliver
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Rob Kavanagh Creative Directors Kevin Bratley, Nigel Webb Senior Designer Nick Burke
Production Team
Videographer Marcos Silva Artworkers Andrew Hopkins, Jess Menage
Other Credits
Senior Creative Services Managers Joel Hodge, Emma Askwith Business Director Lisa Hall Client Head of Marketing Strategy & Advertising Richard Atkinson
Date
April 2020
Background
The contactless limit when paying by card was raised to £45. This meant customers didn’t have to use cash or touch the card reader so often, helping slow the spread of coronavirus.
As the first company to introduce contactless payments in the UK, Barclaycard wanted to make people aware of this important move.
Idea
An ingenious visual was devised showing the icon of a fingerprint fading away to leave the four curved lines of the contactless symbol. This, together with a headline saying simply, “Contact. Less”, became a pointed reminder of the benefit of the new, higher limit.
It was launched in social, then the idea was carried into proximity OOH and point-of-sale.
Our Thoughts
In March, the World Health Organisation advised people to use contactless instead of cash as often as possible. Smart thinking from UK Finance to raise the limit for contactless a month later. Smart marketing from Barclaycard to be the first to announce the raised limit. And very nice design work from the agency to explain it all in a simple, strong graphic that works as quickly in 3x4 inches as in a poster.