The "cross-industry marketing" of 2018 can be described as spectacular, with numerous brand partnerships offering plenty of highlights. On May 25, Ping An Credit Card, in line with its new annual brand theme "We Understand You · Refresh Every Moment of Yourself," collaborated with 20 top-tier brands such as UnionPay, Mastercard, VISA, American Express, Hainan Airlines, Konka TV, Dell, Chow Tai Fook, Samsung, Jason Furniture, and Huawei Cloud Services to jointly release billing stories. These stories highlighted users' significant life moments and personal growth milestones, bringing considerable surprise to the audience. To date, the campaign has garnered over a million interactions, with steadily rising user participation.
In the internet era, with the explosive growth of brands and products, the one-dimensional approach of relying solely on brand marketing and member incentives to win consumer favor has quietly faded. Increasingly, brands are breaking down industry barriers through joint marketing to build stronger connections with customers, thereby expanding their market reach and consumer base while enhancing brand reputation.
On the 25th, Ping An Credit Card's official Weibo account launched a celebratory post for the "30th Anniversary of Ping An Group," using "billing stories" as the entry point. Aligning with the annual theme "We Understand You · Refresh Every Moment of Yourself," the post invited multiple brands to join in creating surprises and building anticipation. Subsequently, the 20 brands followed up, each showcasing their unique "Refresh Every Moment of Yourself" scenarios through vivid visuals and relatable lifestyle settings—covering clothing, food, housing, and transportation. This approach not only highlighted each brand's distinctive value proposition but also infused emotional user stories into the annual theme, serving as a perfect finishing touch. Alongside the graphic posts, interactive activities were launched, with participating brands offering rewards to boost engagement and excitement. Coupled with shares from key opinion leaders (KOLs), the campaign's reach was further amplified.
Today's younger generation is often regarded as the most emotionally detached, making it challenging to truly resonate with them. However, Ping An Credit Card's "billing stories" approached the topic from the youth's perspective, using light-hearted, even playful language to convey profound beliefs behind small purchases and alleviate the stress of big spending. Each story delivered a unique emotional experience. For example, Shenzhen Airlines' billing story read: "Take you to see poetry and distant lands, and bring you back to your familiar hometown"—expressing the longing for travel and nostalgia. Meanwhile, the trendy brand Sad Boy Tea's billing story stated: "Pretend to be down to confuse life, but actually ready to face it head-on"—capturing young professionals' self-motivation in the workplace. This collaborative marketing effort wasn't just fresh and fun—it was also energizing.
Successful brand collaborations require not only complementary vibes and aligned values but also the right timing. By launching this joint marketing campaign just before the key milestone of May 27—the 30th anniversary of Ping An Group—Ping An Credit Card, in partnership with 20 brands, aimed to foster warm, emotional connections with cardholders. The campaign allowed every user to feel Ping An Credit Card's accompaniment through life's important moments and personal growth. Through this initiative, the core message of Ping An Group—"30, We Understand You Better"—was brought to life in a tangible way, marking another "refresh" in Ping An Credit Card's own brand evolution.