Independent children’s boutique scoops national TV advertising spot after winning Visa’s Christmas copycat competition

Edinburgh’s eco-conscious children’s store, Bon Tot, has been crowned the winner of Visa’s #WhereYouShopMatters copycat competition and will see their winning submission aired during ITV’s Dancing on Ice launch show for millions to see.

The heart-warming video, which features five adorable youngsters acting as shopkeepers and singing along to Queen’s Somebody to Love, quickly proved a hit after being submitted in the nationwide contest and has amassed more than 8,000 views on Instagram to date.

The competition was launched as part of Visa’s ongoing support of the British High Street. Building on the success of last year’s creative, which saw high street businesses organically create their own version of Visa’s TV commercial, the contest invited the UK’s independent retailers to create a copycat version of the 2019 Christmas advert. Local businesses from across the nation backed the campaign, which is encouraging people to switch their focus from what they are buying to where they are buying and urging shoppers to show their local high streets some love this Christmas and beyond.

Close contenders for the win included:

• Flea Circus, a one-stop shop in Newcastle with a mix of delights for sale, from vintage furniture and fashion to second-hand books and collectibles.

• Harriman & Co, an eclectic homewares store based in Leicester offering a hand-picked selection of homeware and furniture, who rallied support from other local retailers for their entertaining entry.

• Designer Childrenswear, a family-owned children’s boutique in Sunderland selling a carefully curated selection of designer childrenswear.

Visa’s Christmas campaign is supporting the UK’s independent retailers for a second year running. Through its ‘Where You Shop Matters’ Christmas campaign Visa has put the spotlight on over 150 independent retailers nationwide, including featuring real shopkeepers in its national TV commercial as well as across personalised adverts on prime city-centre billboards and geo-targeted ads on social media.

Jeni Mundy, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Visa commented: “High streets and independent retailers play such an important role in our society – a pillar for communities across the country, providing employment and driving local economies. Once again, we’ve put the focus of our Christmas campaign on these heroes of the British High Street and it has been fantastic to see so many independent retailers come together to recreate our Christmas advert to show why Where You Shop Matters. Congratulations to Bon Tot and St Stephen Street, we can’t wait to see the advert air nationally!”

St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, boasts a local village vibe thanks to its high street of independent retailers including delis, speciality shops and thrift stores. Bon Tot is a modern kids’ store for modern families, offering a collection of ethically sourced clothing, eco-lifestyle products and baby gifts.

Commenting on the win, Kristina, owner of Bon Tot said, “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Visa #WhereYouShopMatters competition! We firmly believe that family-run businesses are what keep our creative, diverse and local communities afloat, so it was only right to get family, friends and customers involved to show the importance of supporting independent businesses this Christmas.”

“Family is at the heart of Bon Tot, so we wanted the local kids, led by our daughter, Clemence, to take the lead - with support from our awesome neighbouring independents! It was huge fun filming the advert and seeing it air on national TV will be a real ‘pinch me’ moment - it means so much to us and our amazing local community and shop neighbours here in Stockbridge.”

Bon Tot will see their advert aired on national TV during ITV’s Dancing on Ice launch show on Sunday 22^nd December 2019 where over 5 million viewers are expected to tune in. By shining the spotlight on Bon Tot and St Stephen Street in a national advertising slot, Visa wants to inspire people up and down the country to visit their own high streets and shop locally this Christmas and beyond, as we believe Where You Shop Matters.

ENDS

Contacts

For more press information please contact Grayling on behalf of Visa: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0) 207 795 5336

About Visa Inc.

Visa is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce.

For more information, visit our website (www.visa.co.uk), blog (https://www.visa.co.uk/visa-everywhere/blog.html), and@VisaUK.