Latin America, the region with the highest inflation rate on the planet, is always news for the economic struggles people face on a daily basis. Money is one of the main issues the working class has to deal with. That's why finding money in this part of the world means much more than good luck, it's a real blessing. Not so many people would think of giving it back. So when someone does, this anomaly gets media attention. But, these rare acts of greatness are never fully rewarded as should.

As the most important virtual wallet in the region, Mercado Pago decided to launch a campaign focused on recognizing those who had returned lost money throughout the year. Protagonists of small but powerful actions that motivate everyone to be better. So before Christmas holidays arrived, we looked for these good samaritans and invited them to tell their stories as an excuse to surprise them with the same amount of money they had returned in their Mercado Pago accounts.

We believe that every time we see this type of news on television we are left hoping for a double happy ending, where the reward for the good samaritan will be equal to what he or she gave back. That’s why the main approach was to fully recognize people whose gestures demonstrated that the Christmas spirit can be present all year long, in order to inspire the rest and build a sense of communion and hope among society.

The Christmas Reward was the heart of a major regional 360° campaign during the end of the year. At first we focused on finding the protagonists of small but powerful actions through a continent-wide media survey. And then, we invited them to tell their stories and set the stage to surprise them with a payback. We used the Mercado Pago app to deposit the money in their accounts in a simple, yet powerful, way. We shot eight different stories working in synergy with both the Argentine and Mexican teams that were aired on TV and as OLV in digital mediums, along with radio spots, PR, banners and different actions to reach the whole society.

$7.868.300 returned to the people

+314 million media impacts

270% Brand Search Lift Youtube

Contactos efectivos: 32.2M - Sobre universo de 38.8M

VTR Facebook: 44%

Repercusiones de prensa: 60

María finished building her family’s house.

Sebastián was able to finance his son’s treatment.

Nancy threw her daughter the best Sweet 16 party.

That’s why The Christmas Reward became the most successful campaign in the Mercado Pago history.