The event took place on Friday at the company’s headquarters in Victoria Island where senior executives, brand leads and agency partners attended, alongside journalists and content creators.

The advert premiere also outlined a wider marketing drive across television, radio, digital and outdoor platforms. Cherry Eromosele, executive vice-president for Marketing and Communications at Interswitch, said the campaign reiterates the company’s belief that payments should work seamlessly in the background of daily life.

“At Interswitch, we have always believed that payment should be a seamless part of everyday life, and therefore our brands Verve and Quickteller reflect this philosophy every day,” she said.

She described Quickteller as a platform built for people who take action. “The mindset of the Quickteller customer is that of a go-getter. The typical Quickteller customer doesn’t sit and wait for things to happen to them. They run it.”

The new Quickteller commercial centres on that message. It shows everyday situations where people move quickly, solve problems and keep going. Bills get paid, transfers go through, and opportunities are taken without delay. The campaign theme is “Run It!”.

Eromosele said the advert salutes what she called the “can do spirit” of African consumers and shows how the platform supports transactions “at the speed of topped for our users across multiple transaction channel touch points.”

Alongside Quickteller, Interswitch also introduced a new brand commercial for Verve, its card scheme with more than 100 million cards in circulation across Africa.

“We couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come with Verve as a brand,” she said, describing it as “African most successful indigenous Payment Card Scheme.”

The Verve advert focuses on what executives repeatedly called the African spirit.

“So what’s the African spirit? The African spirit is vibrant. It’s beautiful. Is undaunted and focused on enjoying the good life,” she said.

The commercial carries the line, “Verve makes infinite red seamless, because when we show up for each other, that’s when we truly live this is the good life.”

The event stressed that Verve goes beyond payments, pointing to VerveLife, its fitness and wellness platform, which has run for eight years and engages consumers around healthy living.

Chidi Okpala, who leads growth marketing for payment tokens under the Verve brand, said the business has grown by staying close to users.

“In fact, as we speak, we’re looking at about 115 million, and still counting, we have over 80 million active cards as we speak today,” he said, adding that Verve holds between 75 and 80% of Nigeria’s card market.

He linked that growth to feedback from customers. According to him, requests to use Verve cards on platforms such as Google Play and Netflix pushed the company into new partnerships.

“We got feedback like that, I want to be able to transact on Netflix with my record. That feedback we took seriously,” he said.

The event also addressed the creative process behind the campaigns. Tomi Ogunlesi, divisional head for Brands, Communications, Content and CSR, said the adverts were produced locally.

“For us, this was a deliberate creative decision underscoring Interswitch’s belief that African stories are best told by African voices,” he said.

“In an era where artificial intelligence is increasingly used to simulate storytelling, the team chose a different path, eschewing artificial intelligence (AI) in favour of organic, emotionally driven filmmaking that captures real faces, real places, and real emotions!”

The company confirmed that the Verve campaign will run across multiple African markets, while the Quickteller rollout will focus mainly on Nigeria.

Executives noted that Quickteller’s services differ by country, with Nigeria offering a bigger ecosystem that now includes transport bookings, flights, and property listings under Quickteller Homes.

They explained that users can rent apartments, book short lets and even buy land through the platform, adding that properties listed there are verified to reduce fraud.

The Interswitch management said the Quickteller and Verve TV commercials would begin airing in the coming days, stressing that payments should not interrupt life, but should simply work.

This landmark partnership expands Verve’s global reach, offering seamless and secure payment solutions and providing millions of Verve cardholders and merchants worldwide with easy access to AliExpress’ extensive range of products, including fashion, electronics, home goods, beauty, and more.

The collaboration empowers Verve cardholders, both locally and internationally, to engage in cross-border transactions.

It also reinforces Verve’s unwavering commitment to delivering inclusive, innovative, and secure digital payment solutions that empower individuals and businesses alike, while bridging the gap in global digital commerce.

Speaking on the partnership, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve International, remarked: 

“We are excited to announce that Verve is now accepted on AliExpress, a globally recognised e-commerce leader. This marks a significant milestone in our global expansion journey, reflecting our commitment to providing cardholders with access to more possibilities in today’s digital economy. The addition of AliExpress to our growing network is just the beginning, there’s much more to come as we continue to innovate, expand, and deliver value to millions of Verve cardholders in Nigeria and beyond.”

Verve’s expanding global network is bolstered by partnerships with renowned brands such as Google, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Facebook, Uber, Spotify, among others, enabling cardholders to conveniently pay for subscriptions in Naira.

These alliances solidify Verve’s position as a trusted leader in the digital payments space, ensuring that consumers can access top-notch services across diverse industries.

With AliExpress joining this network and Verve integrated into its payment options, Verve cardholders can easily shop and pay for a wide range of products.

To shop on AliExpress using a Verve card, simply sign in, select the items to buy, and click ‘Buy now.’ When prompted, add a new card and enter the Verve card details.

Save the information for future use, confirm the details, and complete the payment seamlessly.

In addition to expanding its global partnerships, Verve continues to reward its cardholders through the ongoing Verve GoodLife Promo 5.0, which launched on August 15, 2024.

The promo offers up to 10 per cent discount or cashback on every purchase made at participating outlets, including Google, NNPC Retail, Addide, The Place Restaurants, Sweet Sensation, Chowdeck, BuyPower, Market Square, and more. This initiative gives cardholders the opportunity to enjoy savings and exclusive benefits, reflecting Verve’s dedication to enriching their lives and reinforcing loyalty

This partnership with AliExpress highlights Verve’s commitment to redefining digital payments and enhancing the consumer experience. This collaboration empowers cardholders to seize cross-border opportunities, fostering greater financial inclusion and supporting economic growth.

With additional global partnerships on the horizon, Verve is poised for further innovation, bringing new developments that will enhance the value it offers to its cardholders.

The company remains committed to delivering seamless, secure solutions that enable individuals and businesses to connect with leading global brands, reinforcing its position as a leader in the digital payments space.

As of today, Nigerians can use their Verve cards to make purchases on the Google Play Store, strengthening the digital ecosystem in Nigeria.

Under this new arrangement, Google will process Verve transactions within Nigeria.

These transactions will be undertaken in Nigerian Naira (NG), and treated as local transactions by the country’s banking institutions. As a result, any Nigerian with an Android device and a Verve card now has a streamlined method for making purchases on the Google Play Store.

Anthea Crawford, Head of Retail and Payment Partnerships, Google Play, said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Verve, expanding Google Play access for more Nigerians.

The introduction of local payments with Verve cards is a significant milestone, enabling more Nigerians to participate in the app economy and access the apps they need.”

Speaking about this partnership, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director Verve International, stated that “the integration with Google Play is a significant stride towards achieving Verve’s vision of promoting financial inclusion. We are excited to bring digital content and services closer to Verve cardholders, hence bridging the digital divide.”

As a foremost payment card scheme in Nigeria, Verve’s expanding acceptance promotes inclusion by extending the reach of digital services to a larger segment of the Nigerian population. Maximising this exciting possibility, users can now add their Verve Cards to their Google Play Account and pay in Naira, without stress. 

Here’s how to use your Verve card on Google Play: Open the Playstore, choose the app you want to buy, click the amount you see on your screen, click “add credit or debit card” enter your Verve card details when asked. You can also go to pay.google.com, log in with your Gmail account, click on ‘Add a payment method,’ enter your Verve card details and save. Then, return to the Playstore to make your purchase. Your card will be charged automatically.

This new partnership not only simplifies the payment process for Google Play Store apps and services but also contributes significantly to a more inclusive digital environment for Nigerians.