For PayPal, the future is now.
That's the theme of the e-commerce company's Super Bowl commercial, which is set to air during the first quarter of Sunday's CBS telecast. The 45-second spot marks the brand's first big-game appearance.
Driven by the percussive music track of Demi Lovato's hit "Confident," the ad was created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Los Angeles. It kicks off a worldwide campaign themed "New Money."
"This is more than just a commercial for us," PayPal marketing chief Greg Fisher tells Adweek. "It's a moment to reintroduce ourselves to the world"—following the company's spinoff from eBay last summer—and to share a "vision for the future of money."
In the spot, against quick cuts of bustling daily life in the big city, bold block letters proclaim, "New money is not a dirty word. New money isn't paper. It's progress." Checks, coins and bank notes are dismissed as "old money," relics of the past that hold back happiness and innovation. Images of various folks—all different ages and ethnicities—flash by for the kicker: "New money is all people … PayPal is new money."
"A great Super Bowl spot doesn't just make a splash, but also starts a conversation," said Fisher. "That's exactly what we want—to get people talking about the reality that the very nature of money has changed, and financial-service companies need to serve their needs, not the other way around."
Humanizing the concept was paramount, Fisher said. "Frankly, many people feel that the current options to move and manage money are not people-friendly," he said. "Many are left feeling as if no one has their back. As a company, we identify with this concept." So, PayPal took pains to put itself "in consumers' shoes and speak directly to them in a way that resonates."
The ad's director, Nabil Elderkin—aka, NABIL—best known for music videos, added, "I use PayPal all the time, whether I'm buying wifi on my flights or purchasing camera equipment." So, being involved in a campaign "that gives a direct insight into how useful the product is, a product that is an actual part of my life—for me, this is a win-win," he said.
During the game, PayPal will support the spot with a Twitter trivia contest with Erin Andrews, the Fox Sports broadcaster and co-host of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Fans who correctly answer questions from the @PayPal account could win $500. Moving forward, the campaign will include TV, digital, social, out-of-home and experiential elements.
"Our commercial, activations, social chatter and press coverage will hopefully help tell our comprehensive story and start the process of building a long-term relationship with the people who can benefit from using PayPal," Fisher said. "People have a lot of choices when it comes to how they manage and move their money. We understand that. That's why we're doubling down now with a Super Bowl ad only seven months into our independence."
• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.
CREDITS
Client: PayPal
Agency: CP+B LA
Executive Creative Director: Kevin Jones
VP/Creative Director: Robin Fitzgerald
Senior Art Director: Mike Wilson
Senior Copywriter: Chelsea O'Brien
VP/Director of Content Production: Kate Hildebrant
Sr. Integrated Producer, Video: Ian Kelly
Jr. Producer, Video: Jessica Piele
VP/Executive Business Affairs Manager: Rebecca Williams
Jr. Business Affairs Manager: Taylor Tsuji
VP/Account Director: Laura Likos
Content Supervisor: Georgette Young
Content Manager: Sasha Rawji
Executive Strategy Director: Benny Thomas
Associate Director, Planning: Steven Garcia
Project Manager: Catrina Cosculluela
International Production Company: Reset Content
Director: NABIL
Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall
Producer: Deannie O'Neil
Director Of Photography: Rik Zang
1st Assistant Director: Steven Camendy
South African Production Company: Gatehouse Commercials
Executive Producer: Bev Wynne
Producer: Torben Bülbring
Production Manager: Laila Shrand
Production Coordinator: Kim Fowler
Finishing & VFX: a52
Lead Flame Artist: Urs Furrer
Flame Artist: Christel Hazard
CGLead Artists: Kirk Shintani, Andrew Romatz
CG Artists: Manny Guizar, Paulo de Almada
Colorist: Paul Yacono
Color Assist: Chris Riley
Art Director: Leanne Dare
Designers: Krystal Sojo, Lyn Cho, Jon Forsman
AE Animator: Trix Taylor
Producers: Andrin Mele-Shadwick, Heather Johann
Executive Producer: Patrick Nugent
Head of Production: Kim Christensen
Managing Director: Jennifer Sofio Hall
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editorial Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Editorial Producer: Kevin Gottlieb
Editor: Damion Clayton
Assistant Editor: Mike Spagnoli
Audio Studio: Lime Studios
Audio Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Audio Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Audio Mix Assistant: Peter Lapinski
Music: Demi Lovato "Confident"
Music Editorial: Hum Music