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Slash in MasterCard Advert:

 

 

"The Grammys is one of our marquee events for this year," says Debra Coughlin, MasterCard's senior vice president of global brand building. "'Priceless' is a great platform. We can take something very newsworthy and attach a topical idea to it or use it for everyday occasions."

 

MasterCard takes the timely approach by filming a "Priceless" ad that shows a boy and his dad shopping for the boy's first guitar. The ad lines up the cost of a guitar pick ($2), a shoulder strap ($30) and a shiny red Fender Stratocaster ($650).

 

The boy asks the clerk, "Mind if I try it?" Rather than plucking away at the strings, the kid smashes the guitar to bits before his shocked father.

 

The tagline: "Rock 'n' roll: Priceless."

 

"The Grammys provide a very specific audience for us," Coughlin adds. "We can get a little bit of the younger end of the consumer. All credit card brands have been around a long time. We have to make them look at us and make sure the younger target feels we are relevant."

 

Not that being relevant on a deadline is easy. The ad features a cameo by Slash, guitarist for Guns n' Roses. And yes, he was late. New York City traffic on a Friday parts for no one. Yes, ad agency McCann Worldwide broke several guitars for the smashing scene: Pre-broken Stratocaster lookalikes helped the boy along. And, yes, someone tipped the Starbucks.

 

In addition to the special spot, MasterCard will air an ad it has shown before, but one highlights a young person's first concert.

 

 

Source: www.usatoday.com

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