Key Takeaways:
- "White Lotus" actors Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood star in the new "Venmo Everything" campaign to highlight 15% cashback at select retailers.
- Venmo's Q1 2025 revenue increased by 20% YoY, driven by expanded commerce features.
- Its debit card monthly active users grew by 40%, indicating increased adoption of new features.
Venmo wants you to stop thinking of it as just a way to split the check.
The payment platform just rolled out a lively new campaign with Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood, showing how the app can be used for everyday spending.
The hero spot for "Venmo Everything" features the reunion of the "White Lotus" duo as they dance through a series of purchases, from vinyl records to a drink during a flight.
All these while a reworked version of Black Sheep’s 1991 hit “The Choice Is Yours” plays in the background.
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The campaign, developed in partnership with creative agency 72andsunny, aims to encourage people to use Venmo for more than just sending money to friends.
"Everybody I know uses Venmo. For splitting costs for dinners, concert tickets, and vacations, so I had to get Aimee Lou on board to make her life easier," Schwarzenegger said in a news release.
"As an entrepreneur, I'm really serious about my 'rewards game,' so it's a win I can earn cash back when I pay with the Venmo Debit Card. I love a rewards hack."
Meanwhile, the campaign was teased on social media by spotlighting how Schwarzenegger and Wood have been sending venmos to each other more frequently.
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PayPal, Venmo’s parent company, is focusing on expanding the app's utility for its 64 million monthly users in the U.S.
Pay with Venmo is highlighted in the campaign, allowing consumers to use their balance to pay directly at checkout online and in-store.
The platform also introduced limited-time 15% cashback offers for debit card users at retailers like Sephora, Walmart, and Walgreens.
The debit card also now includes tap-to-pay and zero international transaction fees, along with automatic transfer options.
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"Venmo Everything," directed by Tajana Tokyo, is airing during the NBA Finals and will appear across podcasts, social media, gaming platforms, and influencer channels.
"We redid a famous track and turned it into an action-driving earworm. Got a buzzy celeb duo to dance a charming duet. A dream director who started her career in dance.
An entire surround sound campaign that spanned from Aimee and Patrick transactions to debit-card-signup-driving social films. And the entire Venmo and 72 team worked together to execute ambitious work that also works hard.
Now, just try to get 'You can Venmo this" out of your head,'" 72andSunny LA Executive Creative Director Lauren Smith told DesignRush.
This is the brand's third high-profile campaign in under a year and follows earlier PayPal efforts that featured Will Ferrell reimagining classic rock songs.
Commerce Capabilities Gain Traction as User Base Expands
According to PayPal, Venmo’s total payment volume through its integrated checkout option rose 50% year-over-year (YoY) in Q1 2025.
Monthly active debit cardholders increased 40%, while overall revenue grew 20% during the same period.
Total users has been steadily increasing over the years.
From 72.4 million last year, EMARKETER predicts that it will grow to 76.4 million this year and 85.7 million by 2028.
Venmo is aiming these latest updates at Gen Z and younger millennials, who make up 66% of its user base.
They have also shown strong interest in digital payment features that reward spending.
These data make this latest effort more timely than ever, especially with Schwarzenegger rising to become a successful representative of the younger generation.
Venmo’s latest push positions it to compete more directly with digital wallets and services offered by players like Apple and traditional banks.
Our Take: Are Rewards Enough to Change Habits?
I like that Venmo is finally making a bigger case for everyday use, not just splitting brunch.
The cashback at major retailers is attention-grabbing, and the campaign has a strong cultural pull with its music and talent choices.
Venmo’s new campaign feels a lot like PayPal’s “Everywhere” ads with Ferrell.
The tone is upbeat, the visuals are colorful, and both use catchy, remixed songs to walk viewers through everyday purchases.
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Watching it, you might not even realize at first that both campaigns come from the same company, but the connection is hard to miss.
However, I wonder if this will really push users to treat Venmo like a primary spending tool, or will it stay a side wallet?
Convenience is a big draw.
That said, getting people to change how they spend usually takes more than celebrity marketing.
It takes habit-forming incentives and real savings, which is something that Venmo has to sustain.
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