Discover Card, 2009


Pets are among the most popular designs that customers select for their credit cards these days. At Discover (DFS), the orange tabby cat card is a top seller, according to its PR department. While card designs like this one may be appealing, it’s a troubling trend, says Robert Manning, author of Credit Card Nation. “People are picking out a card because they can have a picture of a cat on it rather than looking at the terms,” he says.
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Austin Powers TM Titanium Visa, 2000


The Austin Powers TM Titanium Visa from First USA was a big hit when first released. The sales pitch: “It's Titanium, Baby!” According to a news article at the time, its rate was 10.9 percent, compared to 9.9 percent for the plain, old Titanium Visa. But, as an enticing selling point, cardholders got a wide-screen video edition of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery after the first use.
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University of Delaware MasterCard, 1997


By the late 1990s, over 70 percent of college students had credit cards. Many a parent was not pleased. Students, who often have little or no income, tend to rack up debt (and interest charges)—which is precisely why the credit card companies market heavily on campus. Various companies began to face criticism for placing the school logos on the card, as well as for offering slices of pizza to students who applied for accounts.
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Rolling Stones Co-Branded MasterCard, 1995


Marketers banked on the idea that customers would want cards that offered them some sort of emotional connection. It turns out, they did. In the mid-’90s, Rolling Stones fans could use this card to get discounts at selected music shops and earn frequent-buyer points to buy items from the band’s merchandise line
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Visa/NFL Co-branded Credit Card, 1989


Eventually, it became apparent to providers that the credit card could be a marketing canvas in itself. Instead of their logos occupying the entire face, in the late ’80s, Visa (V) and MasterCard began experimenting with more aesthetically appealing cards. The provider logo was reduced to a tiny stamp on the corner of the card. Organizations, like the NFL, were happy to co-sponsor the cards.
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