Zip's 'In You We Trust' Campaign: Key Findings
Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) company Zip has launched a brand platform that celebrates its confidence in customers' financial decision-making abilities.
"In You We Trust" was developed by creative and media agencies Majority Agency (co-founded by Shaquille O'Neal and Omid Farhang) and Noble People.
It will run nationally from February through June 2026 across TV, CTV, and digital platforms.
The effort addresses recent criticism of BNPL services, particularly judgment around customers using payment plans for groceries, meal delivery, and entertainment purchases.
The strategy positions Zip as backing customers' financial autonomy when they need flexibility most.
"The fastest way to earn trust is to give it. Our customers are already relying on their own ability to navigate the financial system — they trust themselves," Zip Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Jinal Shah told DesignRush.
"While the campaign is running across broad national channels, the heart of it is really about the millions of everyday Americans who are often overlooked or underestimated by traditional financial systems."
A Creative Strategy on Everyday Trust Moments
The ad features playfully exaggerated scenarios where customers seek validation from Zip about their spending choices.
Each execution shows the brand consistently responding with trust, emphasizing the its confidence in customers' ability to manage their own money.
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The campaign also highlights specific product features, such as flexible payment dates and upfront fees that support this trust-based approach.
Real customer Destiny Modeste appears across creatives, grounding the platform in authentic user experiences.
The creative strategy positions customers as "capable financial decision-makers" while showcasing Zip's transparency and flexibility features.
"When people are given transparent and flexible financial tools, they make smart decisions for themselves," Shah added.
The Growing Debate Over BNPL Usage
Founded in Australia in 2013, Zip also operates in New Zealand and the United States, connecting millions of customers with tens of thousands of merchants.
The brand's updated platform coincides with increased scrutiny of BNPL services and their impact on consumer spending habits.
Zip serves over 6 million customers and reports that 98% of transactions on its platform are repaid in full, countering concerns about payment defaults.
The new platform also includes app experience improvements and new payment constructs designed to enhance customer trust.
The campaign will run across multiple touchpoints, including partnerships with Uber, Match Group, YouTube, and various social platforms.
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Zip's approach teaches brands important lessons about rebuilding trust during industry-wide criticism:
- Turn criticism into a competitive advantage: Use negative industry perceptions as opportunities to differentiate through contrasting values and messaging.
- Build campaigns around customer defense: Position your brand as an advocate for customers when they face external judgment about their choices.
- Create trust through vulnerability: Show confidence in customers' abilities, even when competitors question those same decisions.
When your entire industry is getting heat, showing genuine confidence in your customers can set you apart from competing brands that play it safe.
Our Take: Can Trust-Based Messaging Reshape BNPL Perception?
I think Zip's approach is smart because it acknowledges the judgment customers face without being defensive about BNPL usage.
The 98% repayment rate gives the campaign credibility, and featuring real customers helps authenticate the trust message.
However, I think Zip's challenge will be in whether this messaging translates to improved customer acquisition and retention in a competitive BNPL market.
The focus on product improvements suggests that it understands that to earn trust, you need to present more than just creative messaging.
In other news, FactSet's recent campaign used humor to expose how generic AI fails financial professionals, with a campaign showing AI assistants confusing industry terms.
Financial services brands building trust-focused campaigns need agencies that understand regulatory environments and consumer sentiment.
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