MasterCard Hopes to Engage With Mini-Drama

MasterCard’s new short film, produced by Turner Network Television (TNT), aims to engage consumers with the company’s brand both online and off.

“Late: A MasterCard Mini-Drama” will premiere Saturday night, when it will also be made available on TNT.tv, TNT on AOL, and MasterCard’s Priceless.com community site. After the premiere presentation, Late will air again on TNT the following four weekends, during the TNT Drama Lounge featured film. Beginning in October, it will also be available to viewers as a standalone offering on TNT on Demand, and embedded in two featured TNT films.

“This is part of our strategy around emerging media, and we continue to look for ways to deliver unique and compelling content through our new media extensions,” Michael Lao, VP of global media for MasterCard Worldwide, told ClickZ. “Much like many of our other programs, our primary objective is to engage and interest consumers, and we feel this mini-movie does just that, both on TV and digitally.”

Late opens with a professional 20-something male driving along a busy street with a pile of cash on his passenger seat. He gets a phone call where he discusses how the cash is to be dropped off. The driver stops to buy a briefcase with his MasterCard, and makes the exchange. The surprise ending demonstrates an interesting way MasterCard products fit in everyday life, Lao said.

The partnership was created by MasterCard’s media agency GSD&M. This is one of many interactive initiatives MasterCard has undertaken recently; part of a strategy to extend TV ads through new media extensions.

“The online component of this initiative is important because it allows consumers to further engage with our brand,” Lao said. “Providing original content within the telecast and having that content made available online speaks to our strategy around emerging media.”