Mastercard has launched the “I tap and appear at your side” campaign to mark the arrival of contactless card payment at the Madrid Metro turnstiles. The action, created by Ogilvy España, takes as its starting point the iconic “I click and I appear at your side”, one of the musical references of Spanish pop culture of the 80s, to propose a new expression linked to urban mobility: tap.
The campaign is based on a concrete advance in the public transport experience: since June 1, Madrid Metro users can access the underground by holding a bank card, a mobile phone or a smart watch at the turnstile reader, without having to previously purchase a physical ticket or reload a transport card. The implementation of open payment on the network represents another step in the digitalization of Madrid transport and seeks to reduce friction in an environment marked by the intensity of the daily flow of travelers.
Mastercard’s creative approach is based on the fact that, in a city defined by rhythm, linked journeys and the need to optimize each trip, the easier it is to move, the faster you get to what matters.
The expression “tap”, already common in everyday payments in shops, cafes or buses, is now transferred to the Madrid Metro turnstiles as a gesture associated with speed, comfort and freedom of movement. The result is a platform capable of landing the benefit of contactless payment in specific situations of urban life. The idea seeks to explain that you can now pay with a card on the subway, but it does so by presenting the tap as a way to reach plans, people and experiences sooner.
Starting from this concept, the campaign will deploy different executions adapted to recognizable contexts. Thus, “I tap and appear at your side” coexists with messages such as “I tap and appear on an unforgettable night of football”, in reference to the European competition sponsored by Mastercard; “I tap and appear at a mythical concert”, linked to experiences available to holders of the mark; or “I tap and appear on my next adventure”, designed for trips by Metro to the airport. All pieces will present contactless payment as an access technology and an experience facilitator.
With a presence in metro stations, entrances and turnstiles, as well as in digital environments and social networks, the campaign seeks to reinforce the idea that tapping is the new natural way of moving around the city. The deployment connects the support with the moment of use itself: the communication appears in the same environment in which the user can adopt the new gesture, facilitating the understanding of the system and its incorporation into the routine.
“With our new campaign we seek to give meaning to a gesture that is already part of our daily lives. Today we tap on the bus, in the supermarket or in a cafeteria with the same naturalness with which we move around the city. Starting from that familiarity, in Madrid we wanted to go one step further and turn it into a creative idea with a cultural nod that we all recognize”stated Ramón García, Marketing Director of Mastercard in Spain and Portugal.
The campaign is part of Mastercard’s trajectory in the digitalization of urban transportation. In recent years, the company has collaborated in the implementation of contactless payment by card and mobile on buses in cities such as Madrid, Santander and Malaga. With the arrival of the system to the Madrid Metro turnstiles, this evolution expands its reach to one of the capital’s main mobility infrastructures.
The “I tap and appear at your side” campaign has been created by Ogilvy Spain for Mastercard, with WPP Media as media agency and Burson Spain as communication agency.
