Apple's mobile payment partners continued their marketing onslaught on Monday as MasterCard, the world's second-largest credit card provider, released a new 30-second television ad featuring Apple Pay and female rocker Gwen Stefani.
The spot shows Stefani, armed with a "Surprise launcher," bombarding consumers who use their MasterCard-branded card via Apple Pay with free gifts. A handbag, a golf trip, and tickets to a Gwen Stefani concert among the gifts shown.
According to MasterCard, their partnership with Stefani will be wide-ranging, from "private performances, exclusive access to co-created content and unique experiences."
"Gwen Stefani's personal brand, consumer appeal and sheer energy are what make her an ideal partner to serve as an ambassador for our Priceless Surprises platform," MasterCard CMO Raja Rajamannar said in a release. "This platform has really taken hold and is inspiring a movement of Priceless Surprises whereby we're providing unexpected surprises to our cardholders and in turn they are sharing surprises with others in their lives. With Gwen's help we hope to further this movement."
It is unclear what, if any, input Apple had into the partnership. Apple is said to retain creative control over any advertisements featuring its new payment platform, with marketing czar Phil Schiller personally approving storyboards.
"Our concepts went to Phil, our storyboards went to Phil and someone from the brand team was on the shoot, so they were involved there too," Chase marketing executive Susan Canavari said of the production of the bank's own Apple Pay-focused spot.