Visa Launches Visa Check Card Ad Effort For Hispanics.

Visa announced the debut of a new Visa check card campaign for the growing U.S. Hispanic segment, featuring Spanish-language national and local TV, print and radio advertisements. The campaign promotes the security and convenience of the Visa check card.

The campaign, created by Lopez Negrete of Houston, features Visa check card users who remind their family and friends of the convenience of using Visa check cards over cash and checks. “Movies,” one of the television commercials, playfully compares the inconvenience of paying with cash versus the speed and convenience of using a Visa check card.

“Hispanic consumers represent a significant marketing opportunity for Visa’s Member financial institutions because they are the fastest growing segment of the American population,” said Nancy Friedman, vice president, advertising, Visa USA. “Financial service products such as debit cards are gaining in popularity among this segment. The new commercials demonstrate the value and superior benefits of the safer, faster, more convenient Visa check card.”

The Hispanic population has grown exponentially in the U.S. and is now considered the largest minority demographic in the U.S., responsible for creating a $580 billion economy, according to U.S. Hispanic Market.Net (July 2004).

The television commercials will air on the following networks starting this January: Telemundo, Univision, Telefutura, Galavisión, TV Azteca, Fox en Español, ESPN Deportes, and GolTV. Radio spots began airing in December 2004 in 10 key Hispanic markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Albuquerque and Phoenix. The print ads will start appearing in spring 2005 in Spanish-language long-lead entertainment, lifestyle and parenting publications.

This marks Visa’s second Hispanic check card campaign. In 2003, Visa launched a Spanish-language Visa check and credit card campaign.