MasterCard helps shoppers choose the price range they want to spend

MasterCard Worldwide today announced the launch of the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder (www.priceless.com/giftfinder), a new online tool designed to drive e-commerce by helping online shoppers find the perfect gift this holiday season. Using the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder, online shoppers can choose the price range they want to spend and the personality of their gift recipient. The Gift Finder then displays appropriate gift selections, along with ratings and reviews from Amazon.com. Purchases can be made at Amazon.com directly through the Gift Finder.

Using the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder, online shoppers have access to:

• A budget calculator to track the cost of gift selections.
• A great choice of gift selections, user reviews and ratings provided by Amazon.com.
• The power of social networks by building shopping lists from their lists of Facebook friends (via Facebook Connect), as well as family and friends who are not on Facebook. They can also spread the news about the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder by posting a URL link to the tool on various popular social networking sites.

The MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder is “hosted” by NFL Quarterback Peyton Manning and actress Alyson Hannigan, who offer hilarious “not so perfect” gift suggestions to visitors through a series of video vignettes, prior to the tool’s actual recommendations.

“The MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder represents a significant focus by MasterCard on driving e-commerce this holiday season,” said Cheryl Guerin, Senior Vice President, US and Digital Marketing, MasterCard Worldwide. “There are few better feelings during the holidays than to give someone a gift that you know they will enjoy,” she continued. “The utility of this tool makes it easy to select these perfect gifts, while tracking a budget and managing a holiday shopping list using social media applications that are already a part of many shoppers’ daily lives,” she said.

National MasterCard Moms Speak Out 2009 Holiday Survey

In conjunction with the launch of the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder, MasterCard today released the results of the “National MasterCard Moms Speak Out 2009 Holiday Gifting Survey,” which reveals that while they are responsible for the majority of holiday shopping, many Moms struggle to find the perfect gift.

Key survey findings include:

• 78 percent of Moms indicate they are responsible for selecting, purchasing and wrapping all the gifts, and tracking the holiday budget.

• The biggest obstacle Moms say they face with holiday gift giving is staying within their budget (54 percent), and finding thoughtful and creative gifts (26 percent).
• However, even in the face of holiday shopping challenges, 92 percent of Moms feel there is an inner fulfillment when they do find what they consider to be the “perfect gift.”

The MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder is part of a multi-tiered integrated marketing campaign, which includes a new :30 Priceless® television spot as well as online media banners that break November 16. The television spot and website videos which feature Peyton Manning and Alyson Hannigan, were produced by McCann Erickson/New York. The MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder website was built by HUGE in partnership with MRM Worldwide. MRM Worldwide, in partnership with McCann Erickson, developed the online media banners that also feature Manning and Hannigan. Media is handled by GSD&M Idea City.

The humorous TV spot brings viewers to holiday parties with Manning and Hannigan, where both are giving out “not so perfect” gifts to the people in their lives. For example, at a holiday house party Manning gives teammates Jeff Saturday and Ryan Diem a gift and says “You’ll never guess what it is,” though it is obviously a wrapped football, while Hannigan, at a holiday party “on the set,” gives two bald crew members a shampoo gift basket. The spot wraps with the voiceover “Getting them something they’ll actually enjoy. Priceless. This year let Peyton and Alyson help you get the perfect gift at priceless.com.”

Creative for the MasterCard "Priceless" campaign is driven by McCann Erickson/New York.