Interswitch “Powering Moments That Matter”: 90 Seconds Of Emotive Storytelling, Relatable Narratives & Brand Integration

There are moments in life that they etch themselves permanently into our consciousness. These are the moments that matter… like when you have made complete payment for your own space, your apartment; when you get that bank alert, the seed funding, or the breakthrough call that validates years of struggle, that instant when your child’s engineering project takes flight, the sacred arrival of new life. These are the milestones that define our experiences and remind us of our humanity.

It is precisely these moments that Interswitch has identified and brought to life in its latest television commercial, “Powering Moments That Matter.” As one of a select group of media professionals, partners, and stakeholders invited to the premiere at the Interswitch Innovation Hub in Victoria Island, Lagos, I witnessed what I can best describe as a masterclass in emotive brand storytelling and brand integration.

Interestingly, at a time when the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and algorithmic content creation is gaining traction, Interswitch deliberately chose to craft this campaign “100% in Africa by Africans, for Africans” as Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands, Communications, and CSR revealed.

The TVC

Some years ago, while covering the prestigious Loeries Awards in Durban, South Africa, I watched a piece that sent goosebumps across my skin. It was the kind of reaction that only the best of creativity can elicit. The piece was a brilliantly executed television commercial for the Nandos brand, and I remember thinking then that such moments are precious rarities in our industry, where countless campaigns vie for attention but few achieve true connection.

That feeling had eluded me for a while now, until a few recent TVCs, and of course, the recent Interswitch premiere. As the 90-second commercial began to show on screen, I felt it again. But this time, it wasn’t about any fireworks, spectacular effects, or anything related. Instead, I got goosebumps from the sheer emotive force of storytelling, anchored by a rich narration that made a simple corporate message into something deeply, richly human.

The narrator’s opening words would establish the philosophical framework that would build on everything that followed: “Money. We see it move. We see it move quickly, securely, and intelligently. But by itself, money has no meaning. Until ingenuity turns it into solutions. And passion turns it into a gift. And curiosity into innovation.”

The commercial opens with perhaps the most universally relatable milestone in the transition to adulthood—moving into one’s first independent living space. The young woman we encounter, surrounded by unopened boxes in her new apartment, having just got her keys, is something very relatable and aspirational for those looking forward to `doing the same in the near or distant future. The revelation of the payment transaction occurs almost subliminally, showing how Interswitch enabled this moment without intrusion. The brand integration here is nothing short of genius, rather than announcing its presence, the technology simply exists, as natural and necessary as breathing.

This followed the sequence featuring the young entrepreneur experiencing his validation moment, whether receiving seed funding or achieving a long-pursued breakthrough. For the young entrepreneur, it represents a vindication of persistence and vision. For viewers, it reflects hope and possibility. For Interswitch, it positions the brand as an enabler of innovation, not merely processing payments but facilitating the very transactions that allow African entrepreneurship to flourish.

From here, we see a young girl with her family’s enthusiastic support going about her engineering project. Viewers are drawn into partaking in the family’s triumph when her drone takes flight—inadvertently falling over the household’s standing fan in the process. Now, every parent with an outstanding child will readily relate to the feeling.

Here also, this carefully constructed narrative incorporates Interswitch’s commitment to STEM education through its SPARK initiative. The frame that captures this moment does triple duty: celebrating the girl’s achievement, showing family investment in educational pursuits, and subtly reinforcing Interswitch’s role in powering educational advancement beyond traditional payment processing. Again, we see Interswitch at the background powering this moment.

From there, the commercial ventures into the most primal of human experiences, childbirth. Again, I say this without second guessing…this is storytelling at its most vulnerable and powerful. The emotional weight of this sequence cannot be overstated. Every parent and every human being who has experienced the fragility and miracle of new life will recognize themselves in this moment. The fact that Interswitch’s technology enables the financial transactions that make healthcare accessible is never explicitly stated, yet the connection is powerfully implicit.

The final narrative thread focuses on relationships and the connections that define our humanity. At a time when digital isolation threatens authentic human interaction, this sequence reminds us that technology’s ultimate value lies in its ability to facilitate genuine human connection—connections that Interswitch silently powers.

What stands this TVC out?

What distinguishes this TVC from your average good to the genuinely exceptional is Interswitch’s strategic restraint in positioning itself as the hero of these stories. The brand is not in your face asking you to do anything or calling you to action. Rather, the brand has shown that it is invested in your life,  and your story and in being the silent enabler, the unseen infrastructure working efficiently in the background to make your every meaningful moment possible.

Indeed, this positioning shows a sophisticated understanding of consumer psychology. I don’t believe people wake up excited about payment processing or transaction facilitation. They wake up excited about the possibilities these services enable—the dreams they can pursue, the goals they can achieve, the connections they can maintain. With this TVC, Interswitch is able to show that it is not just a service provider enabling transactions, it has gone beyond that to become a life enabler.

As Dr. Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, emphasized during the premiere: “This is not just about the business or the brand, it’s about people, it’s about the story we tell that touches lives.” This statement encapsulates the strategic evolution from feature-focused to purpose-driven messaging.

Journey from ‘Never Stop’ To ‘…Moments that Matter ’

Understanding this campaign requires appreciating its place within Interswitch’s broader brand evolution, particularly its relationship to the enduring “Never Stop” campaign that has anchored the company’s communications strategy.

Earlier at the premier, Tomi Ogunlesi had provided valuable context on this where he outlined Interswitch’s brand journey beginning in 2015 with fundamental recognition that trust was the most crucial currency. The initial campaign, centered on trust, “transaction solutions you can depend on,” was necessarily functional, focusing on reliability and security in a nascent digital payments ecosystem.

This foundation phase was essential but limited. While effective for building confidence in new payment infrastructure, it didn’t capture the human dimension of what those transactions enabled. The 2017 evolution to “Never Stop” positioning was a shift from pure functionality to innovation-focused messaging.

The “Never Stop” concept was revolutionary in its simplicity and power, focusing on an uncompromising refusal to accept the status quo. Subsequent phases introduced concepts of “seeing beyond the big picture,” where the Interswitch brand was positioned as a strategic partner capable of helping customers envision possibilities beyond their immediate horizons.

The current “Powering Moments That Matter” campaign is the culmination of this evolutionary journey. Building on the “Never Stop” foundation, it shifts focus from what Interswitch does to why it matters, while not abandoning its previous positioning.

The execution of this campaign bears the unmistakable hallmarks of exceptional creative partnership between Interswitch, DDB Lagos, an agency backed by the legendary DDB network famous for award-winning ideas and strategic brilliance and Acon Media. The agencies involvement brings both international creative standards and deep local market understanding to the project.

Developed entirely within Africa, using African talent addresses multiple strategic objectives, it is easy to see that the TVC retains the nuances, expressions, and emotional beats that resonate with African audiences.

Paul Otu, Divisional Head, Design, Research & User Experience at Interswitch, reinforced this commitment to authenticity: “It was important to tell authentic stories, stories everyone can see themselves in. Everyone knows someone chasing a dream, someone battling illness, someone trying to build a future. And in all those stories, Interswitch is quietly there, enabling those moments.”

Technical Excellence in Service of Emotion

While the campaign’s emotional impact is its most obvious strength, the technical execution deserves recognition for its contribution to the overall effect. The cinematography, editing, sound design, and performance all work in service of the emotional narrative without calling attention to themselves.

The editing particularly deserves praise for maintaining narrative coherence across five distinct stories within a 90-second timeframe. This represents compression at its most sophisticated, not simply cutting content but organizing it to create cumulative emotional impact. Each transition feels natural and purposeful, building momentum rather than creating disruption.

The casting and performance quality across all scenarios, a reflection of the careful attention paid to authenticity. Rather than relying on polished actors who might feel disconnected from real experience, the campaign features performers who embody genuine emotion in each situation. Indeed, Cyril Nwaoha, Group Director, Growth and Development, DDB Nigeria (Casers Group) mentioned that a scene had several takes and someone had to be replaced to ensure that the emotion behind a sequence is well captured.

Beyond Metrics

The success of this campaign should be measured not just through the lenses of traditional advertising metrics of reach, frequency, brand recall, etc, but through its ability to shift perception and deepen customer relationships. The emotional connection created through authentic storytelling should translate into increased brand affinity and customer loyalty.

The campaign’s impact on employee engagement also deserves consideration. When employees see their company’s purpose reflected in emotionally resonant advertising, it reinforces their own sense of mission and belonging.

For an industry often criticized for prioritizing cleverness over connection, spectacle over substance, this campaign reminds us that the most powerful advertising doesn’t shout for attention but whispers truths that echo in the deepest chambers of the human heart.

It powers moments that matter not just for brands and their customers, but for the broader cultural conversation about what it means to live, dream, and achieve in contemporary Africa. In my opinion, the true measure of creative excellence is when advertising goes beyond its commercial purpose to contribute something meaningful to the human experience. Interswitch’s “Powering Moments That Matter” TVC achieves this rare distinction, creating work that will be remembered not just for its strategic success but for its authentic humanity. This is advertising at its finest

The goosebumps were well-earned.