How Atlas Finance turned delivery bike drivers into an affiliate network to drive sales

Atlas Finance is a family-oriented South African microfinance provider committed to helping individuals and families access responsible, short-term financial solutions. With a strong focus on community, trust and accessibility, the company provides convenient lending services designed to support everyday financial needs, empowering customers with simple and reliable access to credit when they need it most.

The pandemic forced people to stay home, making typical outdoor advertising much less effective. Atlas Finance needed a way to stay visible and make meaningful connections to potential customers despite the limitations of lockdown. Candice Richards, Senior Marketing Manager at Atlas Finance, explained:

“During lockdown, we had to find ways to get our brand into the lives of our clients and our market without them having to leave their offices or home.”

They also needed these efforts to do more than just raise awareness - they wanted actual sales, conversion, and customer acquisition. They were searching for a cost-effective, scalable way to deliver leads, applications, or revenue, not just impressions. Conventional media either wouldn’t reach deep enough into their target areas or was too expensive given budget constraints.

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MotionAds deployed a fleet of branded delivery bikes across Gauteng, each fitted with fully branded top-box wraps and booster fins carrying the bold "Get a Loan. Get it Fast." creative. As the bikes travelled busy commuter routes, shopping districts and residential neighbourhoods, they transformed everyday deliveries into highly visible moving advertisements that kept Atlas Finance consistently present within its target communities.

To extend the campaign beyond visibility, MotionAds introduced an affiliate-style field marketing element. Vetted delivery riders were trained on Atlas Finance's personal loan offering, equipping them to confidently answer questions and introduce the brand during their daily interactions. Every delivery also included a branded Atlas Finance flyer, encouraging consumers to apply online using a dedicated promotional code while offering the chance to win an Uber Eats voucher as an additional incentive to engage. Each rider was assigned a unique referral code, allowing successful loan applications to be attributed back to individual drivers and enabling campaign performance to be tracked beyond awareness.

By combining moving media, trained brand ambassadors and targeted in-home flyer distribution, MotionAds created multiple touchpoints that guided consumers from initial brand awareness to meaningful engagement and online application.

The one-month pilot proved highly effective, with 20 drivers covering over 43,000 km and delivering 8,500 flyers directly to customers. The campaign achieved a 72.9% return on investment, showing clear business impact beyond awareness. Drivers themselves became enthusiastic ambassadors, motivated by the training and incentives provided.

Candice Richards, Atlas Finance’s Marketing Manager, praised the outcomes: “We were very happy with this trial and will continue using MotionAds. We have stringent qualifying criteria for loans, so we’re pleased with the conversion rate. I also like that the model allows us to scale exposure according to budget: it’s not an all-or-nothing exercise.”

She added that working with MotionAds was seamless: “Our experience has been excellent. Elan is hands on, close to both his drivers and his clients, and constantly seeks out opportunities for both.”