It’s tough being widely misunderstood as a brand. Like being a credit card and having people think it’s not accepted in many places. That’s bad for business. Discover is, in fact, accepted in 99% of places in the US. TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles was given the job of changing this misperception. It’s also tough changing widely held misperceptions. So, the agency tackled the idea of acceptance in a new way, with humorous, localised work featuring over 175 unique headlines in print and digital billboards, tailored to call out America’s slightly questionable social behaviours and remind people that using the Discover card is, in fact, an acceptable behaviour.
For example, in LA, one headline is, “Pronouncing ‘Rodeo Drive’ like you’re expecting so see horses? Ha, less accepted.” And in NY, “Living here and still calling it the ‘Big Apple’ is less accepted.”
The billboards are being placed at famous locations across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and DC that highlight local attitudes and behaviours primed to elicit chuckles and grab attention, plus additional pop ups around upcoming high-visibility events such as 2024 Discover Big 10 Championship Game in Indianapolis, Army-Navy game at Northwest Stadium, and NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.
“Historically, Discover has sidestepped the conversation around acceptance rates, wary of drawing attention to a perceived shortfall. But now, with confidence in our coverage, we approached this campaign with a bold, unapologetic stance. As the world reevaluates what it means to be ‘acceptable’ post-COVID, we saw a natural opening to address Discover’s acceptance in a way that taps into a broader, cultural conversation,” explained Stephanie Berenson, executive strategy director, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA.
The work will also extend through Q4 partnerships with Uber and Uber Eats, Yelp and Foursquare, among others and will target prospective users and their guilty social behaviours at high-impact places such as nail salons, restaurants, bars, and taxis where the acceptance misconception is most prevalent.
Following the OOH rollout, Discover’s ongoing partnership with Jennifer Coolidge will continue across November and December. A series of films will place a focus on dispelling the acceptance myth with the actress’ characteristic humour.
“The power of integrating creative and media is coming to life in a highly contextual way with over 650 hand selected placements and more than 175 unique copy lines. The campaign is effectively overwhelming consumers with the truth of our acceptance and emphatically challenging the misperceptions, ultimately driving further consideration for our brand,” stated Amy Adams, vice president of media, Discover.
