• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

Visa launched the opening drive of its NFL campaign, emphasizing payment security, bringing in comedian Janelle James to inject humor into a pair of ads alongside NFL stars. Created in collaboration with creative agency Anomaly, the campaign launched on Sept. 3, ahead of the NFL season kicking off Sept. 4.

“The Purchase” pairs the “Abbot Elementary” actress with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. James narrates the action, which equates Visa’s fraud protection for payments as “like being in the strong hands of Christian McCaffrey.”

A second ad, “Pocket Protection,” finds the brand playing defense. It matches James with Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

Visa told Marketing Daily the campaign aimed to spark a cultural conversation around fraud prevention, with James brought in to “inject humor, wit, and cultural resonance” to make the message more appealing to a broader audience beyond serious NFL fans.

“By using humor, celebrity, and NFL metaphors, the campaign shows, not tells, that Visa is a ‘financial linebacker’ protecting every transaction,” a brand representative said, adding that the topic is a timely one with a rise in fraud attempts.

Visa says it prevented around $14 billion in likely fraud in the U.S. last year, and “analyzes over 500 data points per transaction to detect and prevent fraud—blocking over $110 million daily.”

“That’s why we’re making security visible in this campaign, even in unexpected places like NFL ads,” the brand representative added. “It’s not just about point of sale—it’s about reinforcing confidence in every moment, especially when the stakes feel high.”