Mastercard - Where To Settle (case study) - MasterCard | Clapboard Ad Archive
Mastercard’s Where to Settle campaign, orchestrated in Year 2023 by McCann and McCann Worldgroup in Poland, exemplifies the power of data-driven utility at the intersection of brand purpose and social necessity within the Finance and Real Estate sectors. At a time when nearly 10 million Ukrainian refugees crossed into Poland amid geopolitical crisis, Mastercard went beyond statements of solidarity, designing a digital platform in partnership with the Morizon-Gratka Group that leverages anonymized transaction data and government statistics to offer refugees customized guidance on where best to live and work, easing pressure on major Polish cities and redirecting movement towards smaller communities in real need of rejuvenation. With intuitive, privacy-by-design mechanics, the tool lets users anonymously specify needs such as preferred employment and family composition, instantly generating clear recommendations around cost of living, housing supply, and job opportunities across the country — not just helping refugees make more informed, empowered decisions, but also addressing the systemic imbalances caused by population surges in urban centers. Supported at the highest levels by the Polish government and the Association of Polish Cities, and amplified by a social campaign featuring local residents extending genuine invitations to newcomers, the initiative achieved a notable penetration — attracting over 242,000 unique users, with nearly 74,000 completed forms, and ultimately benefiting an estimated 20 percent of the Ukrainian refugee population in Poland by providing actionable, life-changing information at a critical juncture. Measured results demonstrate dual impact: Mastercard saw powerful lifts in brand perception across technological, modern, and social dimensions in both Polish and Ukrainian markets, and the critical business lever of usage intent rose sharply, with 80 percent of engaged Ukrainians and 57 percent of Poles expressing intent to use Mastercard services after interaction with the platform. This campaign’s creative core is the demonstration of product utility — what Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#1—Demonstration — with clear, real-world proof at the heart of its communication, eschewing overt narrative in favor of direct, transparent presentation of the platform’s value and effect. Accolades across Cannes Lions (including the Sustainable Development Goals Grand Prix and a Titanium Lion), D&AD, Clio, The ANDY Awards, and Eurobest underline the campaign’s industry-shaping significance, while the partnership-driven activation reinforces Mastercard’s positioning as both technological vanguard and empathetic enabler in the financial realm. The campaign earns 86/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. At a moment when the line between corporate citizenship and strategic brand building is dissolving, Where to Settle signals how digital demonstration at scale can turn abstract brand promises into measurable, mutually beneficial outcomes for both society and business.
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