• by Fern Siegel , Yesterday

U.S. Bank kicked off its new small-business credit-card options — Business Essentials and Business Essentials Plus — featuring actress Jessica Alba as its spokesperson.

Cardholder benefits include 2% unlimited cash back, with accelerated awards for qualifying U.S. Bank deposit accounts and 5% cash back on cardholders’ top spending category.

Creative agency BarkleyOKRP produced the 18-month-long campaign, which runs nationally across connected TV, online video, digital advertising and out-of-home ads. U.S. Bank branches and social media also highlight the work.

In addition, Alba drives multichannel engagement through events and social. “Building a business takes relentless grit, vision and an unrelenting support system,” said Alba, co-founder of The Honest Company. “I understand how critical easy reliable financial tools are to success.”

Crossmedia handled media placements.

“To highlight just how important small businesses are, U.S. Bank needed more than a celebrity spokesperson. They needed an actual small business founder who knows exactly what it takes for a business to thrive. Jessica is both: a talented actress and a small-business entrepreneur," Chris Cima, vice president/creative director, BarkleyOKRP,” told Agency Daily.

BarkleyOKRP's roster includes Burger King, Jiffy Lube and Frontier Airlines.