The Challenge:

Laybuy is committed to being the most customer-centred Buy Now Pay Later brand. It champions responsibility, with strict third-party credit checks and the lowest default rates in the market.

But not all Buy Now Pay Later providers are created equal.

In 2020, ahead of an FCA commissioned review of the unsecured credit market, media attention turned to the sector. Coverage was largely negative, and criticism was levelled at those acting with less integrity than Laybuy; casting the brand under the same dark cloud.

Our challenge was clear: to become the most trusted and talked about brand in the category, creating stand-out from competitors and demonstrating that the brand has its consumers’ best interests at heart. To do this, we identified a role for Laybuy to educate the nation to better finance habits in 2021 and beyond.

People First Insight:

Personal finance is about more than just money management; financial stability has a direct link to physical and emotional wellbeing.

And women are a long way behind men on the financial wellness scale. Our research found that when it comes to money, women under 40 are living under stress, with one in five saying they have no savings whatsoever. In addition, they are silently winging it. They’re more than twice as likely to discuss intimate details of their relationships (16%), an embarrassing medical problem (11%), or politics (17%), than their finances with their closest friends.

The Story:

We launched the Laybuy ‘Master Your Money’ campaign to empower women to talk about, and take control of their finances.

We brought the scale of the female financial crisis to the top of the media agenda, with specially commissioned research into women’s attitudes towards money and their perceived barriers to financial control.  

This story drove people to the Laybuy website where educational content for the digital-first, millennial generation, co-created with Consumer Finance Expert Ellie Austin-Williams, was hosted. A quiz allowed people to quickly build a clear picture of their financial health and build on any problem areas with tips covering saving, spending, budgeting, borrowing, money talk and future finances.  

To spread the word and open up the conversation further, we enlisted TV presenter Laura Whitmore, who herself is a champion for female empowerment. Together with Ellie, Laura took part in a broadcast day to discuss the news story and research findings, with interviews airing on national and regional radio stations including BBC Radio Leeds, Newcastle and Oxford. Laura also undertook print and online interviews on behalf of Laybuy, resulting in in-depth features about female financial wellness in the likes of The Independent, Women’s Health and Glamour. Both Ellie and Laura also amplified the campaign via their social channels and a 30-minute Instagram Live Q&A.  

Additionally, as part of the campaign development, Splendid was responsible for producing a full day photoshoot to capture a bank of impactful imagery featuring Laura and Ellie - for use across owned channels and earned media outreach and provide assets for a strategic partnership with Refinery 29 to directly reach our target audience.

How It Travelled: