Have Your Cake and Eat It Too with Virtual Payment Card Zilch’s TV Offering

St Luke’s has created the first-ever TV ad campaign for fintech brand Zilch, a virtual payment card that allows people to buy now, pay later at thousands of retailers. St Luke’s were awarded the account without a pitch and the appointment represents Zilch’s first appointment of a creative agency of record.

St Luke’s devised the campaign to bring to life the joyful liberation you feel when you get your hands on something you want, without the nagging worry of having to pay interest on it later down the line. Zilch takes away any credit anxiety and allows you to experience the thrill of knowing that what you’ve bought is all yours.  You can have your cake and eat it; in this case, literally.

The ad features freestyle dancer Sharifa Tonkmor, who appeared on BBC Young Dancer, dancing for joy as she finally gets to wear a long-awaited pair of trainers. She is then seen getting her hands on the trainer - and taking a bite out of it, which is then revealed to be a cake, identical to the brand-new pair she’s wearing. A sense of euphoria takes over as she enjoys the delicious treat, representing how you’ll feel when you discover the benefits Zilch can bring to your life. She then discovers a trolley filled with items (also made of cake) appealing to the Gen Z audience: headphones, make up, games controller which, can all be bought with Zilch. A voiceover states: ‘So finally with Zilch you can truly have your cake and eat it’ with the message at the end encouraging downloads of the Zilch app to get stuck in. 

The 30 second spot breaks on TV and online on 6 September with media planning and buying through MNC. The campaign is also running across social and digital media with ads featuring a cake designed as a trainer, with the words: “New shoes? Piece of cake” and “Have your cake and eat it too”. 

The campaign aims to encourage people to sign up to Zilch by celebrating the brand’s benefits and highlighting how Zilch offers freedom from fees and spiralling interest payments. 

Amabel Polglase, chief marketing officer at Zilch said: “We’re delighted to launch our first ever TV campaign, and St Luke’s have done a fantastic job at bringing to life our brand and the feeling you get when you pay with Zilch.”

Ed Palmer, managing director at St Luke's said: “We’re so excited to be working with such an innovative fintech company. With no interest to pay ever, it totally lives up to its name, and we can’t wait to tell the world about it.”

Rich Denney, executive creative director at St Luke’s added: “Zilch is an incredible new brand on a mission and we are delighted they have chosen us to partner them and help drive fame.”