We created Mastercard True Name: the first payment product where people could feature their chosen name on their card—a game-changer for Trans and Nonbinary people.

But Mastercard doesn’t actually issue credit cards (banks do). So, when we rolled out a campaign to announce True Name during Pride, we were announcing a credit card that we couldn’t make without a bank – to convince banks that it had to be made.

As a result, PR had to do more than raise awareness and shift opinions: it had to drive demand to convince banks to put the product in-market.

For Trans and Nonbinary people, using the right name is not just a matter of expression, it’s also one of acceptance, and even physical safety. In fact, 32% of Transgender people who’ve shown an ID card with a name or gender that didn’t match their gender presentation have been verbally harassed, denied benefits or service, asked to leave, or assaulted.

Understanding the lived experience of people is central to ensuring authenticity. One of our creatives, who is Trans, shared a personal story about his credit card: a deli merchant called out his order based on the name on his credit card (which was his “dead name,” and feminine), putting his safety at risk.

So we asked ourselves, could Mastercard do something to actually remedy this problem? And maybe even change industry practices.

We took the product Mastercard is best known for – credit cards – and made them more inclusive by creating True Name: the first payment product where people could feature their chosen name on their card. The aim was to set a new industry standard and drive progress.

We rolled out a 360 campaign to announce the True Name card to the LGBTQIA+ community and to generate interest from potential partners.

Mastercard makes cards work, but banks own the cards themselves, the cardholder relationships, and the credit.

So, when we realized that a fundamental element of every card is broken for millions, we couldn’t just fix it ourselves: we had to put Mastercard’s industry relationships on the line to convince the banks that actually issue cards to change them.

We knew the key was the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies throughout culture: we had to generate enough excitement about True Name to both capture the attention of banks, and make them feel both comfortable and inspired enough to help us turn it into a reality.

To announce True Name, Mastercard held a panel discussion led by key community influencers and advocacy groups. In conjunction we released a video announcing True Name to the world.

In order for Mastercard to speak directly and authentically to our core audience, we leaned into LGBTQIA+ endemic media partners, like Out, The Advocate, Queerty and Gay Cities, utilizing a mix of custom branded content and standard media placements to bring True Name to life. This was to ensure that a complex message could be told so that not only did we drive awareness of the new card product, but also understanding. What may seem like an obvious challenge Transgender and Nonbinary consumers face every day are, many times, misunderstood by those not personally impacted.

We also launched a film on the World Pride broadcast starring Trans actors, and featured their personal stories on social to drive more engagement.

The idea for True Name made an immediate and significant impact in culture and the LGBTQIA+ community. Within moments of our True Name card announcement, we saw a continuous stream of global media and community coverage.

The True Name card received overwhelmingly positive coverage, including talk shows like “Late Night with Seth Meyers” to “Good Morning America.” We also saw prominent members of the LQBTQIA+ community, political figures, and influencers taking to social, further building awareness and driving positive sentiment.

As a result, Mastercard secured partnerships with banks around the world. True Name is now in market with BMO Harris Bank, Superbia Credit Union, Citibank, and Bunq, with more set to launch in more markets around the world.

Even more importantly, True Name set a new industry standard. Our competitors (including Visa) and their banks (including JP Morgan Chase) have subsequently changed their own practices, bringing similar products to market: changing the industry, one step and one name at a time.

In this case, market disruption didn’t inspire the work: the work inspired market disruption.

Mastercard pitched a more inclusive credit card to banks – and convinced four bank partners to sign on to offer True Name to their customers.

Even more importantly, we set a new industry standard. Our competitors (including Visa) and their banks (including JP Morgan Chase) have subsequently changed their own practices, bringing similar products to market: changing the industry, one step and one name at a time.