Always Play Boldly: What Mastercard’s Priceless Legacy Teaches Us About the Future Consumer

In my recent conversation with Rustom Dastor, Executive Vice President, Head of Marketing and Communications for the Americas at Mastercard, I was reminded that timeless ideas in marketing don’t die—they evolve. The “Priceless” campaign, launched in 1997, remains one of the most enduring brand platforms in history. Yet what struck me most wasn’t its longevity—it was its continued relevance in a world defined by AI, data, and ever-shorter attention spans.

Rustom and I discussed how Mastercard continues to stand out not by chasing every new trend, but by staying rooted in something inherently human. It’s a lesson every brand—and every leader—should take to heart as we enter the age of Generation AI.

The Priceless Principle: Why Humanity Still Wins

When Mastercard first launched the Priceless campaign, the cultural context couldn’t have been more different. It was 1997—an era of conspicuous consumption and pre-digital affluence. People defined success by what they owned: bigger homes, faster cars, flashier vacations. And yet, here was a financial brand telling consumers that the most valuable things in life weren’t things at all.

The first ad, “Father and Son,” was simple: a dad taking his son to a baseball game, with the tagline reminding us that time spent together was, in fact, priceless. The idea resonated globally because it spoke to something universal: that love and connection matter more than currency.

Fast forward to today, and that same truth still holds. But it’s not nostalgia keeping it alive—it’s adaptability. As Rustom put it, “People aren’t emotionally invested in the moment of payment—it’s what happens before and after that matters.”

That’s an insight tailor-made for the 2025 consumer, whose loyalty is built through experiences, not transactions. In a society increasingly shaped by AI and algorithms, authenticity and emotional resonance remain the ultimate brand differentiators.

From Status to Access: The New Currency of Experience

In my book Generation AI, I describe how the new generation of consumers—raised on technology and shaped by constant connectivity—values access over ownership. Rustom summed it up best: “Access is the new excess.”

That single line captures the psychological shift redefining modern aspiration. In a pre-social world, status was displayed through physical possessions. Today, it’s reflected through digital proof of participation—who you met, what event you attended, what moment you captured.

Mastercard has built a modern ecosystem around that idea. Through partnerships in sports, entertainment, and music, the brand gives cardholders entry into experiences that money alone can’t buy. You can purchase a Lady Gaga album, but you can’t buy your way into her music video—that’s the kind of access only Mastercard can provide.

This is where modern brand-building intersects with cultural storytelling. The future of marketing isn’t about buying impressions; it’s about creating memories. When consumers feel like they’re part of something bigger than a transaction, you move from being a payment brand to being a cultural icon.

The Creator Economy and the Democratization of Influence

Rustom and I spoke at length about the shift from top-down marketing to creator-driven ecosystems. In 1997, influence was concentrated—celebrities, TV spots, magazine ads. Today, it’s diffused across millions of creators, each with their own micro-communities.

That fragmentation can feel overwhelming, but it’s also an enormous opportunity. As Rustom noted, “It’s like taking a cup of water to an ocean that already exists.” The challenge for brands isn’t to outshout the noise—it’s to find relevance within it.

In Generation AI, I wrote about how Gen Z and now Gen Alpha were born into the “influence age.” They don’t see creators as advertisements—they see them as peers. Their relationship to brands is participatory, not passive. That’s why Mastercard’s creator collaborations work. By aligning with authentic communities—like gaming through League of Legends or music through the Grammys—they don’t insert themselves into culture; they enable it.

This is a critical mindset shift for every brand leader today. The next generation of consumers isn’t looking for corporate campaigns—they’re looking for co-creators. Brands that understand that dynamic will build advocacy that no ad budget can buy.

Personalization, Diversity, and the AI Consumer

We’re living in a paradox. The same technology that makes personalization possible also risks stripping away humanity if used carelessly. Rustom put it succinctly: “Personalization is a technological challenge—but it’s also a human one.”

Mastercard’s acquisition of Dynamic Yield—a personalization platform that helps brands deliver tailored experiences—isn’t just about automation. It’s about empathy at scale. The company is using AI not to replace intuition but to amplify it.

The stakes are high. Gen Z is the most diverse generation in history, and Gen Alpha will be even more so. Nearly half identify as non-white, and they are twice as likely to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community as their millennial predecessors. That diversity isn’t just demographic—it’s psychographic. Their shared traits are fluidity, individuality, and a demand for inclusion.

For brands, that means segmentation models based solely on age or income are obsolete. The new segmentation is values-based. It’s about passion, identity, and community—things that can’t be captured by traditional CRM fields.

The future of marketing will be defined by how brands use AI not to predict what consumers will buy, but to understand why they buy.

The Data Dividend: Building Trust in a Transparent Era

It’s impossible to talk about the new consumer without talking about data. First-party data is now one of the most valuable assets in business, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Mastercard’s approach offers a masterclass in responsible innovation. The company doesn’t view itself as a credit card provider—it sees itself as a fintech network connecting buyers and sellers through trust. That distinction is everything.

As Rustom explained, Mastercard only works with aggregated, anonymized data. It doesn’t need to know what you bought—it just needs to understand spending patterns at scale to help merchants make smarter decisions.

In Generation AI, I warned about the dangers of data misuse in the AI era. Trust is now the ultimate currency, and brands that violate it will lose faster than ever. The companies that win will be those that show restraint—not just in what they can do with data, but in what they choose not to do.

AI as the Great Equalizer

What I found most fascinating in our conversation was how naturally AI fits into Mastercard’s DNA. They’ve been using AI for decades, particularly in fraud detection. Every time you tap your card, dozens of AI systems are working behind the scenes to verify it’s you.

But as Rustom pointed out, “AI isn’t new—it’s just visible now.” What’s changing is the perception of AI as a creative, not just computational, force.

AI is now being used across Mastercard’s ecosystem to enhance marketing, improve consumer experiences, and even help small businesses compete. From predictive analytics to conversational commerce, AI is democratizing access to intelligence that was once reserved for global enterprises.

That’s the real story here: AI isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about empowerment. When used ethically, it levels the playing field. It gives every business the ability to act on insights in real time and every consumer the ability to be understood as an individual.

This is the future I describe in Generation AI: a world where humans and machines collaborate, not compete.

The Future of Payments: From Plastic to Platforms

When I asked Rustom about the future of payment itself, his answer was refreshingly confident: “We’re not a credit card company. We’re a technology company.”

That shift in identity reflects a broader truth about how industries evolve. The most innovative brands are no longer defined by their products—they’re defined by the problems they solve.

Whether it’s blockchain, crypto, or contactless payments, Mastercard views every disruption as an opportunity. When Apple Pay launched, many assumed it would threaten card networks. Instead, it ran on Mastercard’s rails, expanding the ecosystem.

That’s a powerful reminder for leaders navigating disruption: incumbents don’t lose because of innovation—they lose because of inertia. The companies that survive are those that redefine themselves before they have to.

Leading Through Change: The Boldness Imperative

Toward the end of our discussion, Rustom shared a quote from Arnold Palmer that encapsulates his leadership philosophy: “Always play boldly”

It’s more than a tagline—it’s a mandate for modern leadership. Playing boldly means taking calculated risks, embracing discomfort, and acting before certainty. It’s a mindset that rewards conviction over caution.

Rustom spoke candidly about how his own career was shaped by bold choices—from leaving India to build his career in the U.S. and U.K., to embracing new technologies before they were mainstream. His story reminded me that the future doesn’t belong to those who wait—it belongs to those who act.

In Generation AI, I wrote that our generation—those currently leading in business—will experience more technological change in a single lifetime than any before us. Success will depend not on predicting the future, but on adapting to it faster than everyone else.

The Human Side of Technology

There’s a moment in every conversation when a big idea becomes personal. For Rustom, it was when he talked about his three-year-old son already knowing how to swipe through his phone. His question wasn’t whether that was good or bad—it was what it means for the next generation’s relationship with technology.

That’s the essence of what I call “Generation AI.” This generation won’t remember a time before intelligent machines. For them, the line between the digital and the physical will be invisible. The challenge for us—as business leaders, parents, and citizens—is to ensure that technology enhances humanity rather than erases it.

As Rustom said, “We can’t stop the change—but we can shape it.”

What “Priceless” Means in the Age of AI

When I look at Mastercard’s evolution, I see a blueprint for brands navigating this new era. The reason “Priceless” has endured for nearly three decades is because it’s not a campaign—it’s a belief system.

It’s a belief that relationships matter more than transactions. That access beats ownership. That technology is a tool, not a substitute for empathy.

As AI reshapes every corner of our economy, from how we pay to how we create, the brands that will endure are those that understand this truth: being human is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Final Thoughts: The Age of the Bold

As I left the studio that day, one phrase stuck with me: Always play boldly. It’s what Mastercard did in 1997 when it challenged the world’s obsession with materialism. It’s what they’re doing now as they blend data, AI, and humanity into a future-ready brand.

In an era where technology can automate everything but emotion, boldness isn’t just a creative philosophy—it’s a survival strategy.

The next chapter of marketing won’t be written by algorithms; it will be written by leaders who know when to trust their instincts, when to take a leap, and when to remind the world that some things will always be—well—priceless.