‘The Jim Henson Company and MasterCard announced that the beloved Muppets will star in a new television commercial in the latest implementation of MasterCard’s award- winning “Priceless” advertising campaign. The Muppet implementation — in both :30 and :15 second formats — premiered November 1, 2002, and will continue airing through the holiday season.
The new ads support MasterCard’s “Priceless Memories Sweepstakes,” which gives MasterCard cardholders the chance to relive memories with the special people in their lives and to create new memories. Each time a U.S. cardholder uses their MasterCard card for a domestic transaction* from October 15 – December 31 they are automatically entered for a chance to win one of more than 1,000 “get together” prizes.
The commercial plot features Kermit the Frog(TM) as the contest winner, who then invites pals Miss Piggy(TM), The Great Gonzo(TM), Animal(TM), Pepe the King Prawn(TM), Fozzie Bear(TM), Sam the Eagle(TM) and Rizzo(TM) to join him in a trip to New York City where they create their own “priceless” memories.
“I’m glad MasterCard put a cap on Miss Piggy’s spending allowance while we were filming the ‘Priceless’ commercials in New York,” said Kermit the Frog. “There’s nothing more dangerous than a pig in the city with plastic.”
“Moi knew it was only a matter of time before those lovely MasterCard executives would realize that I am indeed the epitome of ‘Priceless,'” commented Miss Piggy.
Michael Polis, Senior Vice President of Marketing Worldwide for The Jim Henson Company remarked, “MasterCard’s ‘Priceless’ ad campaign has set new standards for innovation in advertising. We are thrilled that the Muppets, known around the world for their own brand of creativity, have joined MasterCard in producing these priceless Muppet moments.”
“These new ads are a perfect example of a strong, strategic creative execution delivering our promotional message to consumers,” said Elisa Romm, vice president, Brand Building, MasterCard International. “By using wonderful characters like the Muppets to drive our brand message, we’re able to tap into what is truly ‘Priceless’ about the holiday season.”
David Bynder, Director of Brand Marketing and Promotions for The Jim Henson Company helped broker the deal. Brian Henson directed the television ad.
Jim Henson’s Muppets have brought joy to generations for over 45 years. Notorious for their unique style of entertainment, the Muppets have become international superstars. They just finished celebrating the 25th anniversary of “The Muppet Show(TM),” the Emmy Award-winning television series that aired in over 120 countries. The Muppets are pop culture icons with over 5,000 licensed products in the marketplace and promotional deals with NASCAR, UPS and Virgin Atlantic among others. The Jim Henson Company just finished production on “It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie” to air November 29, 2002 at 8 p.m. EST/PST on NBC and recently partnered with Fox Broadcasting Company to develop a new primetime Muppet series.
The Jim Henson Company, an established leader in family entertainment for more than 40 years, is a multimedia production company; one of the top character licensors in the industry; a leading publisher of children’s books; and home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop(TM). The Company is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices and production facilities in New York and London. The Jim Henson Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of EM.TV & Merchandising AG based in Munich, Germany. The Jim Henson website is located at: .
About MasterCard International
MasterCard International has a comprehensive portfolio of well-known, widely accepted payment brands including MasterCard(R), Cirrus(R) and Maestro(R). More than 1.7 billion MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro logos are present on credit, charge and debit cards in circulation today. With approximately 25,000 MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro members worldwide, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses, both large and small, in 210 countries and territories. MasterCard is a leader in quality and innovation, offering a wide range of payment solutions in the virtual and traditional worlds.
MasterCard’s award-winning Priceless(R) advertising campaign is now seen in 90 countries and in 45 languages, giving the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. With more than 28 million acceptance locations, no payment card is more widely accepted globally than MasterCard. For the six months ended June 30, 2002, gross dollar volume exceeded US$534 billion. MasterCard can be reached through its website at .
