Western Union Puts a Smile on Our Faces with Major New UK Ad Campaign

Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today announced the launch of a major new campaign to drive awareness of the speed, reliability and convenience of sending money from the UK to the world using Western Union app and website. The campaign, created by BBH London, features a portrait of a smiling woman’s face painted in a quick time by professional speed painter Dave Sharp.

The 'smile' will light up the streets up and down the country including a 22ft version in Camden. The portrait and the speed in which it was created are symbolic of how fast customers can send money and put a smile on a loved one’s face. The speed painting was captured live in South London’s Printworks, and has been turned into a beautifully emotive social film which went live across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter today.

The painting itself is the artwork for the nationwide campaign which features the mural in Camden Town, roadside 6 sheets, OOH banners, bus supersides and the line, 'You can send money in minutes with our app.'

"Western Union believes in people who are on the move in pursuit of their dreams while maintaining strong bonds with their countries of origin. Even in these challenging times, the optimism and resilience of our consumers is inspiring,’ said Keerthy Bamrah, head of UK marketing at Western Union. "This campaign is a tribute to our customers in the UK as they continue to support their family and loved ones. We are proud that our digital money transfer services offer fast, convenient and reliable ways for them to connect with their loved ones around the world, 24/7, and ultimately put a smile on their faces."

Ewan Paterson, BBH creative director, commented: "The idea behind the campaign is simple. We wanted to put a smile across the whole country echoing what Western Union does around the world, by helping people to send money to their family and loved ones in a faster and more convenient way."

Drawing on a legacy of more than 170 years, Western Union has built a robust and innovative cross-border, cross-currency money-movement and payments network. The Western Union brand is today recognised around the world for delivering what matters most to the people who depend on it every day, namely speed, reliability, trust, and convenience. This campaign launch aims to highlight these unique capabilities to consumers across the UK as they continue to use Western Union app and wu.com to send money to their loved ones.