Oct 29, 2019   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Rakuten Launches New US Media Campaign Featuring NBA All-Star Stephen Curry

SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading loyalty rewards company Rakuten launched a new North American media campaign, "Let's Talk Rakuten," in collaboration with its newly appointed agency of record, Standard Black. The first TV spot, which features NBA All-Star Stephen Curry, was unveiled in tandem with the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.

With additional spots slated to air through early 2020, "Let's Talk Rakuten" will run on broadcast, cable, and streaming networks as well as on social and new media. The campaign also includes out-of-home executions including billboards, bus shelters, and station dominations of Hudson Yards in New York City and Montgomery BART in San Francisco.

Created by design-driven creative agency Standard Black, the campaign showcases Rakuten's consumer benefits for savvy shoppers. While previous campaigns focused on introducing Rakuten to the North American market, "Let's Talk Rakuten" centers around establishing a unique identity for the brand. To portray this, Standard Black produced a campaign illustrating specific, iconic situations with scenes and characters that were broadly relatable across a wide audience.

"Once people experience Rakuten, they can't help but talk about it. Our goal was to translate the feeling of social obligation to tell friends and family about how Rakuten can enhance the way you shop," said Michael Sharp, CEO of Standard Black. "It's always exciting to have a campaign with a really clear direction, tone and story to tell, and a lot of room for improvisation and experimentation. We were really lucky to work with an exciting brand like Rakuten and an incredibly talented cast. We could just sit back and watch our ideas come to life."

"We were looking for a creative partner to build on our brand story and Standard Black's vision drew us to them," said Trever Gregory, VP of Brand Marketing, Rakuten. "We wanted to showcase our identity and demonstrate why our 13 million members love Rakuten. We think we accomplished this with our new campaign. It was the perfect trifecta of creative, direction and talent all coming together."

Rakuten is a simple way to earn Cash Back on virtually everything you buy and is the largest loyalty program of its kind. In the last 20 years, the company has paid more than $1.5 billion in Cash Back to its members on purchases from more than 3,500 retailers and online services. Membership is always free at Rakuten.com.

Watch Rakuten's new commercial, "Stephen Curry Racks it Up," at: youtu.be/VVEF0izpeuQ.

Credits:

Rakuten

    --  Brad Hebebrand, VP, Creative
    --  Trever Gregory, VP, Brand Marketing
    --  Kelly Gardenhire, Senior Marketing Manager
    --  Kristen Gambetta, Senior Director, Sports & Entertainment
    --  Rhea Wadia, Manager, Sports & Entertainment

Hungry Man Productions

    --  Hank Perlman, Director

Standard Black

    --  Michael Sharp, CEO
    --  Jared Tomlinson, Partner, Executive Creative Director
    --  Scott Niemczura, Creative Director
    --  Suzanne Sherwood-Moore, Creative Director
    --  Lauren Gluck, Brand Director
    --  Brian Schierman, Executive Producer
    --  Catherine Soulé, Art Director
    --  Johnny Fracchiolla, Designer

About Standard Black

Standard Black is a bi-coastal advertising agency that has brought together a multi-disciplinary team of creatives, designers, and makers with the aim to create conversations - not just content. And, that's why we live by the mantra: 'Our Standards are high. For our work, for our people, and for our clients'. We live it to ensure that everyone involved in the creative process is dedicated to creating work that isn't just a campaign, but also adds to the cultural narrative. For more information, visit standardblack.com.

About Rakuten

Rakuten is a leading e-commerce company that enhances the way people shop by offering Cash Back, deals and rewards. Founded in 1999. Rakuten has grown to become the go-to shopping destination for consumers, having paid out more than $1.5 billion in Cash Back to its 13 million members. The company also operates ShopStyle, a leading fashion discovery destination, and Cartera Commerce, a top rewards platform for airlines and banks. For more information, visit www.rakuten.com.

About Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry's on and off court legacy is marked by transformation and innovation. With a following of over 13M on twitter and 26M on Instagram, Curry is one of the most influential stars both on and off the basketball court. His nine-year career in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors is marked by many firsts; he was the first person to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote in NBA History and one of a select few to win MVP awards two years in a row. He holds six NBA all-star selections and three NBA Championships. Off the court, he is an emerging figure in Silicon Valley, and the athlete's brand touts a number of direct investments in innovative consumer and enterprise technology companies. This past July, Stephen and Ayesha Curry launched the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, whose mission is to unlock the potential of every child by ending childhood hunger, ensuring universal access to education, and enabling active lifestyles. The family foundation is dedicated to providing underprivileged children the fundamental resources they need to thrive in life, with an emphasis on the Bay Area and Oakland communities. He is also the founder of the Film & Television company Unanimous Media specializing in Faith, Family and Sports content in tandem with Sony Studios, and is the Executive Producer for ABC's no. 1 primetime show, Holey Moley. For more information on Stephen Curry, please visit: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Media Contacts:
Rakuten Rewards
Carol Lee
carol.lee@rakuten.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rakuten-launches-new-us-media-campaign-featuring-nba-all-star-stephen-curry-300947371.html

SOURCE Rakuten Americas