• by Aaron Baar , November 19, 2011

In a new ad campaign timed to the holidays, Western Union demonstrates the adage that gifts are as much about giving as receiving.

In three television commercials from Dallas agency Moroch Partners, the wire transfer company depicts three scenarios in which giving money to someone makes them feel more connected to the recipient’s life. In one commercial, an aunt (heard only in voiceover) explains: “To my niece, it’s money for a new camera. To me, it’s seeing the world through her eyes.”

“With this new campaign, Western Union is raising awareness on the many ways we can make someone’s day better,” a company spokesperson tells Marketing Daily. “While sustaining the company’s 160-year history of innovation and helping people improve lives, the new branding elements depict visual timelines that invite consumers to be a part of the worldwide campaign.”

Other scenarios depicted in the commercials are a mother sending money to her son, so he can buy a bus ticket home, and a man sending his brother money to buy a new shirt and tie for a big job interview. The spots will run in international markets such as Bulgaria, Romania, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, with customized voiceovers.

“The advertising theme, ‘Better Today, Better Tomorrow,’ emphasizes creating positive moments throughout the holiday season by giving the gift of possibility,” she says. “Because the theme resonates with anyone wishing to give a gift this season, the campaign lent itself well to an international scale that could still be localized for individual markets.”

The theme is also meant to tie in with the company’s overall “Moving Money for Better,” branding platform and its recently announced “World of Betters” Internet initiative through which people can share how they would use $1,000 to make the world a better place. Through that initiative, which launched on Nov. 1 and will continue through Dec. 15, Western Union will award 100 suggestions with the cash to accomplish that goal.