Visa AP Purpose Library

Client: Visa

Project Title: Visa AP Purpose Library 

Background

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Its mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payment network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.

Brief

As one of the leading payment providers globally, Visa is committed to ensuring accessible and equitable financial access for all. They approached us to create a video series for their Visa Purpose Library, focusing on key global initiatives and partnerships, including the APAC and CEMEA region.

Through compelling narratives, we aimed to showcase how Visa has been instrumental in driving innovation, expanding access, championing fintech, and promoting financial education. The testimonials capture the essence of Visa’s brand goals, emphasising the tangible difference the company is making worldwide.

Response

The first step was to carefully curate narratives that align with Visa’s brand goals. “Visa introduced us to the storytellers who could authentically convey the impact of their initiatives,” said Tuan Rahim, our Producer/Director. A prime example was the Morocco Purpose story featuring Neoll, founded by Mariam Faghroui, an online marketplace that showcases local Moroccan artisan products to a global audience. By enabling purchases via digital payments with Visa, this story shows the success of the She’s Next initiative, which empowers women entrepreneurs with the resources and opportunities to grow their businesses and support their communities.

Chrissa Mahtani, our Producer for the APAC videos shared a similar sentiment: “I liaised with one of Visa’s partners, the Asian Foundation to understand how they help people to upskill using technology and embrace entrepreneurship.” Afterward, she arranged the shooting schedule with the beneficiaries chosen by Visa and the foundation.

One of the profiles that struck a chord with Chrissa the most was Asminiwati, a teacher and homemaker turned Indonesian snack seller. “Once COVID and an earthquake struck the village in short succession, Asminiwati decided to upskill herself with the business modules from the Asian Foundation. Doing so enabled her to provide for her family. She’s a true matriarch,” Chrissa said.

To capture the importance of the initiatives, we conducted interviews with all the relevant parties. And to enhance the narrative, we incorporated a voice cut from the Visa country manager, providing insight into Visa’s role in the project. This format was consistently applied across all videos, ensuring a cohesive and engaging storytelling approach.

Our solution centred around a strategic blend of personal interviews with Visa partners, storytellers, and beneficiaries, allowing us to seamlessly weave together narratives that highlighted the significant impact of Visa’s initiatives on a global scale.

However, the production journey was not without its challenges. “Finding equipment and crew in countries with language barriers has its own challenges,” said Tuan. To overcome these obstacles, we implemented a two-man crew setup, with individuals flying in from Dubai and a local fixer on the ground. In this setup, one person played the roles of Director, Producer, and Production Coordinator, while the other took on the responsibilities of Director of Photography (DOP) and Sound Engineer. 

Chrissa also highlighted some of the challenges we faced, particularly given Asminiwati’s remote location in a Lombok village. “Her house is quite modest and small, proving challenging to fit our gear and equipment.” Despite these constraints, we creatively addressed the issue by stationing lights outside and shining them through her kitchen’s small window. 

Additionally, the sounds from the surrounding chicken coop meant a few retakes. However, we chose to embrace these natural elements, incorporating them into the videos to add an authentic layer to Asminiwati’s story.

Ultimately, our team successfully navigated and overcame each hurdle, ensuring the production stayed on track and met Visa’s expectations.

Outcome

The project received positive feedback from the Visa team, who expressed great satisfaction with the videos as signalled by the fact they’re looking forward to making more videos with us in 2024. The success was further underscored by the decision to broadcast the CEMEA episodes on CNBC Africa and Economy Middle East. Notably, the airing will be complemented by an interview featuring Andrew Torre, the Regional President for Visa CEMEA.