The Most Effective Credit Card Commercials

The goal of any advertisement is to convince the consumer that he or she would be better off with the advertised product or service. Some products like big screen TVs are very easy to market because they appeal to primitive human desires (e.g. clear, vivid, big high-resolution visual stimulation).

When it comes to credit card commercials, the advertiser has a slightly more difficult task, because in themselves, credit cards have nothing to offer. Not only that, but they also have negative associations with people in massive debt, etc.

A credit card commercial needs to create positive, desirable associations. One of the best ways to do this with a credit card is to create a causal story where credit cards enable “priceless” moments. In the commercial above, you see a once in a lifetime father & son moment. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Everyone dreams of visiting their ancestors homeland, tracing their roots, getting in touch with their past. And the commercial tells you that a Citi credit card can help this dream become a reality.

Very effective commercial. Why? Because it tells the story of why a person needs a Citi credit card: the card can make a desirable moment in life come true. It’s like magic. It offers the viewer a way out from mundane existence, towards the indulgence of dreams.