• by Tanya Gazdik , August 24, 2011

Chase Card Services is launching a multimedia ad campaign to support the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which is offering additional points for certain purchases.

The new enhancement offers cardmembers two points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases, in addition to existing benefits, including no foreign transaction fees and dedicated, immediate live customer service. Chase Sapphire Preferred, which debuted two years ago, is Chase's premiere affluent rewards card.

Cardmembers have redeemed billions of Ultimate Rewards points for hundreds of thousands of trips, said Sean O'Reilly, general manager, Chase Card Services.

"Chase Sapphire Preferred is designed for affluent cardmembers who are looking for unique experiences, not just more stuff," O'Reilly tells Marketing Daily. "When we spoke with cardmembers, there was a common theme of travel and dining as their passion points. These changes allow Chase Sapphire Preferred to reward them for what they love to do."

To support the new enhancement, Chase is launching a multimedia advertising campaign entitled "A Card of A Different Color," which challenged the preconceived notion that something the color of "gold" is more valuable, putting claim to substance over status. The card is an indirect slam at its competitors, such as American Express, whose "gold" card is well known.

TV broke Aug. 22 and is running on channels including ABC, NBC, Fox, Food Network, AMC, E!, Discovery, CNN, ESPN, History, Travel and FX. The first spot will run through early September, with additional spots running through the end of the year. Print is running in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times. Online ads will run on multiple websites including TripAdvisor, Expedia, AOL, CNN, Facebook, MSN, NYMag,com, NY Times, Hulu, Discovery, OpenTable, JetSetter, National Geographic, Pandora, CondeNast, TastingTable and Yahoo.

In the first of four TV spots, Chase asks "if something is simply the color of gold, is it really worth more?" The "Card of A Different Color" campaign includes broadcast, digital and print components that challenge the "value of gold," showcasing the range of travel options -- from bullet train to airplane, and dining options -- from fork to spork, on which cardmembers will earn double points.

Travel-related purchases include air, hotel, car, trains, travel agencies and taxis. Dining purchases can be from fast food and coffee shops to fine dining. Points earned never expire and cardmembers can collect a 7% Annual Points Dividend each calendar year, even on points already redeemed. The card's $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

All current Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers will automatically receive the new enhancement. New Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers will receive a one-time 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

"Another benefit of Chase Sapphire Preferred is that is takes 20% fewer points to redeem for travel through Ultimate Rewards," O'Reilly says. "For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers can redeem a 50,000-point flight using only 40,000 points (20% fewer) when booking on Chase's Ultimate Rewards redemption site."