Mastercard unites the world of sport with its latest 'Start Something Priceless' campaign

At least that's what springs to mind when we consider the brand's latest ad campaign, featuring Lionel Messi (see what we did there), Neymar Jr, Dan Carter, Bryan Habana, Annika Sorenstam, Ana Ivanovic and Valeri Kamensky – all connecting with each other over social media and using their Mastercard "tap and go" payment products to chase a red ball across continents and cultures to make sure it gets back to its owner.

Debuting in more than 45 countries, the global spot, created by McCann, is centred around Mastercard's current running theme, 'Start Something Priceless', but this time using the universal passion around sport and its inherent values of teamwork, sportsmanship, generosity and inclusion to demonstrate that it only takes a moment to connect with people to make a greater impact.

"People today expect more than a great product – they expect brands to have a point of view, and it’s through Start Something Priceless that we show ours," remarks Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard.