Afterpay moves to ‘reshape the narrative’ with latest brand push

Afterpay has launched the second phase of its ‘Own It’ brand campaign, marking a strategic push to reshape perceptions of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) as a mainstream financial tool rather than an alternative credit option.

The campaign, developed with creative agency 72andSunny, highlights BNPL as a financially responsible choice, countering the perception that it primarily caters to young, impulsive shoppers. Afterpay’s own data shows that its average customer in Australia and New Zealand is now 37-years-old, with 90% of repayments are made via debit cards, underscoring a shift away from high-interest credit cards.

Afterpay’s growth trajectory has cemented its position in the finance sector. The company’s Q3 2024 gross payments volume (GPV) reached $8.24 billion, a 23% year-on-year increase, while gross profit rose 29% to $242 million. Over the past decade, it has processed more than one billion transactions globally and now has more than 24 million active customers and 348,000 merchant partners.

Joel Moran, Afterpay’s VP of marketing, international markets, said the ‘Own It’ campaign is aimed at reinforcing BNPL as a smart, modern way to pay.

"Our 'Own It' campaign is not just about making a statement, it's about reshaping the narrative. A new generation is redefining financially savvy behaviour, using their inside knowledge to access opportunities to get ahead, and this is what we wanted to highlight,” he said.

“Afterpay is a smart, modern way to pay that empowers users to make confident spending choices. By playing the system, now our customers aren’t the ones being played."

The campaign will run across television, digital platforms and social media, with an out-of-home push scheduled for March.