VCCP wins 2m launch of Net voucher scheme

Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP) has won the 2m advertising account for a new pre-paid cash voucher scheme. 3V Transaction Services is launching in the UK this week, following a trial in the Republic of Ireland.

Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP) has won the £2m advertising account for a new pre-paid cash voucher scheme. 3V Transaction Services is launching in the UK this week, following a trial in the Republic of Ireland.

The agency won the account without a pitch, although the company spoke to several unnamed agencies.

The service, backed by Visa, uses paper vouchers, and is aimed at people who want to shop online but do not have a credit card, or do not want to use cards online.

The vouchers are available to anyone over 16 years old, and will be available in shops that are part of the Payzone cash acceptance network. The vouchers will be accepted at online stores displaying the Visa sign.

VCCP will also handle European activity when the scheme is rolled out across Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands next year. VCCP Digital will handle online activity, and financial services specialist TeamSpirit has been appointed to the roster. Media planning and buying will be handled by Experience and Unique.

VCCP has already developed the launch campaign, which uses animals to demonstrate that anyone can shop online with the vouchers. The ads will target 16- to 24-year-olds and non-UK nationals working in the UK, and will have the strapline: “Now you don’t need a credit card to shop online”. The campaign will run across press, online and radio.

Visa rival MasterCard was the first to launch a pre-paid product in the UK. It launched Cashplus with partner Advanced Payment Solutions to target the migrant population and people without credit cards last year (MW 10 August 2005).