A still from Visa's Walla Visa.In partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi MEA, Visa has launched a campaign powered by real-world listening, turning a commonly used phrase amongst Egyptian merchants into a testament of how the global payments brand is woven into the fabric of daily life.
Daily transactions in Egypt often come with a familiar phrase: ‘cash walla Visa?’ It’s a question merchants have asked for years – passed down from one generation to the next. This isn’t a campaign line taught by Visa. It’s a cultural expression that emerged on its own, instinctively adopted by shops and shoppers alike.
Seizing this cultural phenomenon, Visa’s Walla Visa campaign aims to give small businesses the tools to promote themselves on a larger scale.
The brand has installed AI voice-activated devices in partner stores to catch every real-life mention of ‘Visa’ during customer chats. Each time someone said it, it was counted – and the more they said it, the more media support the store earned.
Every mention of the brand, intentional and unintentional, picked up in-store has been transformed into sponsored ads across social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, turning real conversations into real exposure.
“At Visa, we see small businesses as the heart of economies, and we are committed to their success,” said Hussein Kandil, Senior Marketing Director MENA & S.Asia, Visa. “These merchants have supported Visa for years through a simple, organic phrase. With Walla Visa, we’re turning that everyday expression into a real opportunity for growth.”
Visa aims to back the voices that have backed it for years, giving participating stores free media support and brand visibility both online and on the streets.
“The best insights in business are unearthed by listening to people,” said Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis Groupe. “We have heard ‘cash walla Visa’ a lot in Egypt across mechants, and it was time we acknowledged that for Visa, and used this cultural fuel for not just for the brand’s own benefit but for Egyptian small businesses too.”
“Walla Visa is a powerful example of how culture shapes commerce,” said Fizo Younis, Chief Creative Officer Publicis Communications Egypt & KSA. “By spotlighting the merchants behind the phrase, we’re turning a shared behaviour into a shared success story.”
The campaign has launched in Egypt, and has claimed that early participating merchants are already seeing tangible benefits. As more merchants are celebrated based on this untapped cultural opportunity, Visa aims to continue to show that every transaction is more than just a payment – it’s a moment of progress.
Credits:
Visa:
Tarek Abdalla SVP, Chief Marketing Officer CEMEA
Leen Fakhreddin Senior Director CEMEA
Tihana Begovic Brand Marketing CEMEA
Sasha El Jurdi Senior Marketing Manager CEMEA
Tala Nawfal Senior Marketing Manager CEMEA
Denis Yakimchuk Senior Marketing Manager CEMEA
Hussein Kandil Senior Director Marketing MENA & S.Asia
May Karim Senior Marketing Manager NALP
Salem Seif Senior Marketing Manager NALP
Jagruti Mistry Sr. Director CEMEA Corporate Communciations & Events
Eman ElGamal Director Corporate Communications
Saatchi & Saatchi MEA:
Bassel Kakish Chief Executive Officer at Publicis Groupe ME & Turkey
Nathalie Gevresse CEO Publicis Communications UAE
Ramzi Sleiman Head of Agency
Sebastien Boutebel Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi ME
Tahaab Rais Chief Strategy Officer
Ahmed Younis (fizo) Chief Creative Officer Publicis Communications Egypt & KSA
Yuste de Lucas Creative Director
Rudy Zulkifly Creative Director
Ziad Chami Business Lead
Jad Hassanieh Business Director
Lea Maalouli Associate Business Director
Nicolas Geahchan Senior Creative Director
Vitor Palma Senior Art Director
Alia Elwi Junior Art Director
Joao Xavier Associate Design Director
Daniel Masilang Animator
Farishte Irani Senior Copywriter
Omar Gamal Senior Producer
Shereen Mostafa Head of Production
Good People Production House:
Omar Khalil Executive Producer
Nour Abdel Latif Producer
Omar Hindi Line Producer
Adel Imam Assistant Producer
Ahmed Bakir Director
Shady Salah 1st AD
Karim Marold DOP
Salma Adly Stylist
Mahmoud Taima Prop master
