MasterCard International breaks a holiday sweeps centered on The Cat in the Hat, its first-ever film tie-in. The MasterCard Holiday Trip-a-Day Giveaway leverages MasterCard’s multi-year partnership with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, signed in February (April, 2003 PROMO).
The estimated $50 million blitz will award 62 grand-prize trips for five to Universal Studios Orlando, one each day for November and December. Cardholders are entered each time they use their MasterCard.
“The trip a day [prize structure] really stretches our value perception,” says Cheryl Guerin, VP-relationship marketing at Purchase, NY-based MasterCard. “With a huge TV media buy, we have to create a promotion that’s simple to communicate.”
TV, print, P-O-P and bill statements combines Cat with MasterCard’s “Priceless” slogan, using the tagline “Buying a gift and winning a trip: Priceless.” The Integer Group, Dallas, handles the sweeps and print ads; McCann Erickson, New York City, handles TV.
Retailer-specific overlays piggyback Universal’s equity. Blockbuster will give away 10 theme park trips; BJ’s Wholesale Club and Loews Cineplex also give away trips (and Loews gives away annual movie passes). Radio Shack will give two Cat in the Hat tickets (by mail) to customers who spend $50 via MasterCard. The U.S. Postal Service will award 50 pairs of airline tickets to anywhere (so winners can follow the gifts they’ve shipped). Card issuer J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will give Cat DVDs to cardholders who make five $35 purchases.
“Everyone was eager to play with this one,” since Cat in the Hat will have Universal’s muscle behind it, and it’s likely to be a big hit, says Integer Group chief creative officer Matt Savage. “It’s been an interesting journey bringing the Cat to life.”
MasterCard tested a range of Cat-related prizes, from “building a Seussian playroom in your house to movie ticket giveaways,” says Guerin. “The theme park prize rose to the top because it gets to the heart of what’s important to consumers: Spending time with family and friends.”
Last year’s Priceless Memories performed well in usage and ROI, but wasn’t as integrated as it could have been, says Guerin. “With Cat in the Hat, everything looks and feels the same and is on-strategy — ironically, in a more difficult environment” because materials have to suit Universal, too. (Mike Myers’ stand-in posed for MasterCard’s ad — the photos were retouched to better resemble Myers, who stars as the Cat.)
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