• by Aaron Baar , July 22, 2008

Given higher prices everywhere and an uncertain economic future, U.S. consumers just might be using their credit cards more. In its latest round of advertising, Discover Financial is deepening its positioning as a consumer ally by highlighting all of its various products and tools that can help people manage their finances.

A television commercial, which began airing last night, speaks of how the United States is a nation of consumers. "And there's nothing wrong with that. After all, there's a lot of cool stuff out there," says a voiceover. "The trouble is, there's so much cool stuff, it's easy to get carried away." The spot goes on to describe how Discover can help people manage when and how to spend via online tools, while also touting its Motiva card (which rewards users for paying on time) and its long-standing cash-back on purchases promise.

"These ads really address the challenging economic times consumers are feeling," Julie Loeger, senior vice president of brand and product development, tells Marketing Daily. "These [tools and products] are a few things that can help consumers spend smarter, manage debt better and save money."

The campaign, which is part of the company's two-year-old "Brighter" effort, also includes rich media banners encouraging people to find ways to "spend smarter," as well as call-outs on the company's home page. The extension is the first to tie in all of the company's product elements, from cards to cash back to planning tools in one execution, Loeger says.

"We've heard consumers say that we have a lot of information at our disposal, but they wondered why we don't make that information available to consumers," Loeger says. The company has been creating online tools this year--a pay-down planner, a purchase calculator and a coming spend analyzer--to address that need, she says.