Marketed towards work-obsessed Americans who deserve well-earned time off, the “One More Day” campaign asks for consumers to pledge to take #OneMoreDay of vacation and spend time with loved ones. Research undertaken by MasterCard discovered that only half of working Americans plan to take a vacation this year, while a study by the U.S. Travel Association revealed that 429 million vacation days went unused by Americans last year.

“We developed the ‘One More Day’ campaign to help create a movement to get all Americans to take their well-earned time-off,” said a spokesperson for MasterCard. “To address this topic, we are inviting consumers to make a social pledge to take just one more day of vacation – to travel, spend time with family and friends or experience something they are passionate about.”

Updated Concierge app
The “One More Day” campaign is running in part to help promote the updated version of MasterCard’s Travel Concierge application, which helps users book services and experiences such as shopping trips and dining reservations through their mobile devices.

Rather than relying on multiple Web sites and guidebooks, guests can receive exclusive recommendations right on their smartphones, lending more ease to the world of travelling and all it has to offer.

“I think the travel industry is a very important category for mobile,” said Monica Ho, senior vice president of marketing for xAd. “In fact, our latest quarterly report showed that Travel was a top 3 category on our platform based on mobile ad revenues in Q2 2014.

“I think mobile’s ability to provide on the go and in the need access to anything from car rentals to hotel rooms and and even plane tickets make it an essential tool for any traveler.”

MasterCard is also introducing a slew of print, digital and television ads to promote the new Travel Concierge app. MasterCard cardholders of the World and World Elite status can use the app to phone or email a concierge for help with travel plans and receive exclusive offers.

“The app provides consumers access to exclusive experiences and offers at top restaurants, stores, and premiere hotels in the top cities across the globe,” said a MasterCard spokesperson. “Users can also discover the best nightlife, dining, shopping, and events with city guides.”

The brand hopes to encourage more Americans to plan more holidays, but also aims to educate consumers about untapped resources, such as card reward programs that offer holiday savings.

MasterCard claims that approximately 36 percent of cardholders use their reward programs, which typically saves them $500 or more each year.

“This campaign will allow both regular travelers and general consumers to view MasterCard in a positive light,” said Ms. Ho. “I think raising awareness of the benefits consumers can enjoy by taking their earned time off will not only increase awareness of our un-used vacation time…but of the travel services that MasterCard provides.

“I think the integration of a sweepstakes and social hashtag will also help spread the message beyond traditional outlets and hopefully result in the acquisition of new travel customers.”

Promoting travel
With travel being big on mobile, MasterCard is also offering a sweepstakes for pledgers. Each user that pledges to the campaign with a #OneMoreDaySweeps hashtag on a social media site will be entered to win a grand prize of a trip for four valued at $25,000.

Meanwhile, MasterCard’s “Priceless Cities” program allows all cardholders to experience exclusive offers in some of the world’s finest cities. The program functions as a desktop extension of the Travel Concierge app.

“It hits all the right notes: it’s relevant, it’s positive, and it’s timely,” said Carla Bourque, CEO of Smartify. “Mastercard clearly understands that connecting with customers in social media is about creating positive experiences and authentic conversations that are human-focused, not brand-focused.

“It feels caring and in tune with what’s going on in our work-obsessed culture, and I think we’ll see customers respond positively. It’s fresh, and very focused.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York