Challenge
Afterpay, a fast-growing Australian digital payments platform, set out to enter the U.S. and Canadian markets and introduce the buy now, pay later (BNPL) model widely to North American consumers. As a new entrant, Afterpay needed to build immediate awareness and credibility, educate media and consumers on an emerging payments category, and clearly differentiate BNPL from traditional credit, all while launching with Urban Outfitters, Inc., its first major North American retail partner.

Strategy
We developed a comprehensive North American market-entry strategy to localize Afterpay’s global success for U.S. audiences, anchored by its launch with Urban Outfitters as a culturally relevant proof point to signal legitimacy and scale. We translated Afterpay’s global traction into a compelling U.S. narrative, positioning BNPL as a smarter, more transparent alternative to credit and Afterpay as a category pioneer. To accelerate credibility with U.S. media, retailers and industry leaders, we elevated CEO Nick Molnar as a forward-thinking fintech founder, facilitating curated introductions and private C-suite dinners that established peer-level relationships and embedded Afterpay within the North American retail ecosystem. 

Results
The campaign successfully introduced Afterpay to the North American market, generating strong national and trade visibility across outlets including The New York Times, Forbes and WWD. The launch firmly established Afterpay as a leader in the BNPL category at a critical early stage of the market’s U.S. expansion.