The NFL season has kicked off and regardless of which team you support, no one likes being cheated. Whether it’s deflated footballs or a dodgy ticket tout, there are few experiences more crushing than being the victim of a con.
Understanding this, the credit card company Visa has teamed up with creative agency Anomaly LA and hungryman director Wayne McClammy to put the cleats to fraudsters.
Running offence in two action-packed spots are football stars Fred Warner, Kyle Hamilton, TJ Watt, and 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who represent Visa’s payment security features as they literally stiff-arm scammers. Meanwhile, ‘Abbott Elementary’ actor Janelle James plays sports announcer for the big hits.
Above:'Pocket Protection'
Discussing the campaign, Anomaly LA’s partner and CCO Josh Fell said, "To be honest, it's not easy explaining the tech behind Visa's security. And at first we were stumped. But when we realised the answer was ‘Don't explain it. Feel it.’ it all clicked.
“If you're a scammer, it feels like you're getting hit by the 220lbs all-pro safety Kyle Hamilton. So just do that.”
This simplification led to Janelle’s involvement – “someone who can say it without saying it. Authority without a lecture.” He added, “She got it immediately and was a total natural in the role."
Above:'The Purchase'
The comedic takedowns and funny quips in the 30-second spots, ‘The Purchase’ and ‘Pocket Protection’, tie the security features naturally into the American football world and its vocabulary, just in time for the NFL ‘25/’26 season.
Features like Visa’s ‘Fraud Alerts’ become timely interceptions during important plays as, in Janelle’s words, the shady scammers get "knocked on their butts" to express visually how ‘no one is more secure than Visa’.