Cash Is… Consumer Cash Advocacy Campaign
The Brief
Cash was losing the argument. Not because it was actually disappearing, but because nobody was making the case for it. The industry conversation had stalled at "cash is still relevant." That's a defensive position. It's not a story.
The real question was more interesting: not whether cash survives, but why it matters. What does cash actually do for people that nothing else can?
The Idea
Cash Is. Two words that open into everything. The tooth fairy leaving something real under a pillow. The freedom of an off-grid market in a place that doesn't take cards. The satisfaction of paying for something and feeling it leave your hand.
We reframed the entire conversation from infrastructure to emotion. Not ATM-centric, not transactional. A pro-cash message built around the unique experiences and feelings that only cash enables.
The Campaign
Launched summer 2018 under the campaign platform Cash Is, anchored by a dedicated content hub at WhatIsCash.com. The site served as the center of gravity for the campaign, housing consumer video content, blog posts on practical cash use, and an ongoing contest inviting people to submit their own cash moment stories for a chance to win a share of $7,500.
I led creative direction across the campaign, storyboarding the anchor film and directing its development with an outside production partner. I also produced standalone video concepts used at tradeshows and events, developed the contest platform and website, and led the social campaign push across Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
The campaign generated millions of impressions and hundreds of thousands of views of Cash Is video content. The theme extended into fall B2B activities, integrating into trade show environments to bring the consumer message directly to retail partners.
The campaign was supported by the Health of Cash study, which found that 75% of consumers believe paying in cash helps them save money, giving the emotional narrative a data backbone that reinforced the brand's credibility.
Recognition
1st Place Digital, 2018 ATMIA Industry Awards, Cardtronics for WhatIsCash.com & the Cash Is campaign.
1st Place Content, 2019 ATMIA Industry Awards, Cardtronics for the Health of Cash study.