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Hello Ping fam 👋
If this ad had come from almost any other fintech brand, it would've been called...
too weird.
A monster-like woman walks into a café.
Orders a matcha.
Can't pay.
The cashier says,
"You can pay with your face on CRED UPI."
So she literally removes her head and places it in front of the phone.
Ridiculous?
Absolutely.
Forgettable?
Not even close. Because CRED isn't really selling Face ID - It's selling memorability.
The Joke Wasn't Random
At first, the character feels bizarre.
Almost unnecessary.
Until the punchline lands.
The campaign takes the phrase
"Pay with your face."
And interprets it literally. That's what makes the joke work. It isn't humour for the sake of humour, it's humour built directly around the product. The feature becomes the punchline.
Not an afterthought.
This Isn't The Old CRED Anymore
The new campaign has also sparked an interesting conversation online.
Some viewers miss the old CRED.
The celebrity-led chaos of "Indiranagar Ka Gunda," Jackie Shroff's eccentric neighbourhood or Jim Sarbh's wonderfully absurd monologues.
Those campaigns became internet culture. On the other hand, they were also criticised for one thing - People remembered the ad but not always the product.
This one feels different. Not because it has less humour - but because the humour has a job to do.
Whether it's fingerprint payments or Face ID, every joke revolves around demonstrating the feature.
The entertainment hasn't disappeared.
It's simply become more product-first.
The Product Demo Doesn't Feel Like One
Most product demos explain.
CRED performs.
That's a subtle but important difference. Instead of showing Face ID through screens and UI, they created a visual gag nobody can unsee.
The feature gets demonstrated. Without feeling like a demonstration and that's difficult advertising.
Because viewers rarely skip entertainment.
They almost always skip explanations.
Weirdness Has Become a Branding Asset
Perhaps the strangest part of the campaign...is the casting.
The oddly designed characters.
The awkward expressions.
The slightly uncomfortable humour.
None of it feels accidental. In a feed full of polished influencers and predictable fintech communication, being weird has become distinctive.
The moment you see the frame... you already know...
"This has to be a CRED ad."
And that's one of branding's biggest victories.
Recognition before the logo appears.
Ping’s POV
The smartest part of CRED's latest campaign isn't the joke.
It's the evolution.
Earlier, CRED used entertainment to build the brand. Today, it's using entertainment to build the product.
That's a significant shift.
Because funny advertising gets shared. But funny advertising that also explains a feature gets remembered. Perhaps that's where CRED has quietly matured.
It no longer chooses between creativity and product marketing.
It makes one do the other's job.
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