Actors Elizabeth Banks and Gabrielle Union have teamed up for an advertising campaign promoting Paze, the digital wallet offered by participating banks and credit unions across the United States.
The campaign, titled Paze. It Checks Out, plays on the coincidence of the stars’ surnames while highlighting the role of banks and credit unions in delivering a streamlined online checkout experience with added security.
Launched by Early Warning Services, the campaign aims to raise awareness of Paze’s core proposition: allowing consumers to check out online using cards from participating financial institutions without sharing their actual card numbers with merchants.
Serge Elkiner, general manager of Paze, said the casting was a natural fit for the brand.
“When your campaign stars Elizabeth Banks and Gabrielle Union, you try not to overthink it,” he said.
“But the connection works because the product does too. Consumers want online checkout to feel simple, secure, and streamlined.”
The campaign uses humour and self-awareness to draw attention to common frustrations associated with online shopping, including forgotten passwords, repeatedly entering payment details and concerns about card security.
Banks said the concept was impossible to ignore.
“The Banks and Union connection was honestly too perfect to pass up,” she said.
Union added that the campaign resonated because it addressed a familiar consumer experience.
“The campaign has this playful energy, but underneath it is something really relatable: people want checkout to feel easy and secure,” she said.
Paze is positioned as a digital wallet that works through existing relationships consumers already have with their banks and credit unions.
Users are not required to create new accounts or remember additional passwords, while the service is designed to provide an intuitive checkout experience using eligible credit and debit cards.
The campaign launches as Paze continues to expand its network of participating financial institutions and merchants, with Citi becoming the latest bank to offer the solution to customers.
According to Early Warning Services, more than 200 million credit and debit cards have now been added to Paze, reflecting growing adoption of the platform across the payments ecosystem.
The Paze. It Checks Out campaign will run across connected television, digital video and social media platforms throughout the summer, supported by participating financial institutions and merchant partners.