- Venmo tapped real-life friends Rachel Sennott and Jordan Firstman for its new campaign, with both involved from the writers' room through final cuts, making the content feel more like genuine friendship moments than traditional ads.
- The campaign promotes Venmo's expanded Stash rewards program, highlighting that users can now earn cash back on everyday purchases, not just send money to friends.
- The campaign runs across social media, OOH, streaming, podcasts, and audio, targeting Gen Z where they already spend their time.
- This marks Venmo's second high-profile celebrity campaign in under a year, following its "Venmo Everything" push with White Lotus stars Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood in mid-2025.
Venmo just dropped its latest campaign starring real-life best friends Rachel Sennott and Jordan Firstman, announced April 15, 2026.
The campaign centers on two friends mid-conversation, mid-realization, discovering that the app they’ve always used to pay each other back can also earn them cash back.
Unlike typical celebrity ad deals, Sennott and Firstman shaped every dimension of the creative, from the writers’ room to wardrobe, resulting in films and photography that feel like candid moments rather than commercials.
The deal promotes Venmo’s expanded Stash rewards program, which now offers up to 5% cash back at select merchants including Sephora, Ulta, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.
The partnership is a natural fit. Sennott and Firstman are co-stars on the HBO comedy series I Love LA, which premiered November 2025 and was renewed for a second season that same month.
Firstman also released his debut comedy album Secrets via Capitol Records in April 2025, while Sennott recently joined the cast of the upcoming A24 film The Moment alongside Charli XCX.
Similar comedy-driven brand moves, like Keegan-Michael Key’s campaign for Ore-Ida and Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine’s work for Planet Oat, show brands are increasingly leaning on actors and comedians with authentic chemistry to drive Gen Z engagement.
Venmo’s previous campaign with White Lotus stars Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood ran during the 2025 NBA Finals, signaling the brand’s continued push to move beyond its peer-to-peer roots into everyday spending. This is the first known Venmo partnership for both Sennott and Firstman.
Takeaways
This campaign is a masterclass in authentic casting. Venmo didn’t just hire celebrities, they hired two people who are actually friends, gave them creative control, and let the comedy breathe.
The result is content that doesn’t feel like a paid ad, which is precisely what makes it effective for Gen Z audiences who are highly allergic to traditional advertising.
Venmo is also clearly in an aggressive phase of brand repositioning. With revenues growing 20% over the fiscal year and debit card total payment volume surging 50% YoY, the brand is spending that momentum to shift the narrative from “app you use to split dinner” to “app you use for everything.”
Leaning on comedians like Sennott and Firstman, both of whom have built loyal Gen Z followings through authenticity, is a calculated and smart play.
With Venmo giving Sennott and Firstman full creative control, does this set a new standard for how brands should approach celebrity deal-making, especially with Gen Z talent?
