MANILA: Chinese kung fu star Zhang Zi Yi of Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon fame is the new face of Visa as the credit card company plays up
the power of its cards across 12 markets.
Developed by BBDOF/Guerrero Ortega, the commercial shows Zhang dining in
a premier French restaurant. But she enrages the chef by complaining
that her soup is too salty. A fight erupts, allowing Zhang to show off
the kung fu acrobatic stunts she pulled off in the cinematic
blockbuster, and the restaurant is completely destroyed. In the end, a
waiter tells Zhang the soup is free but unfurls a long bill for damage
to the restaurant, leaving the star to present her Visa card.
BBDO's chairman and executive creative director David Guerrero, Zhang
was chosen because the TVC's storyline was similar to a scene in the
movie.
By associating Visa with Zhang, the card giant was losing to reinforce
its position as the world's leading card company, Guerrero said. "We
were briefed to show that Visa card holders have the power to make
things happen and, in particular, to encourage people to use their cards
every day.
We wrote scripts that combined normal every day characters with
extraordinary individuals." The campaign will be supported with print,
outdoor, POS and direct mail.
