In effort to directly address negative PR

Klarna has launched a new interactive ‘Mythbuster’ campaign in an effort to dispel “ridiculous” myths about its service amid looming clampdowns and an influencer backlash.

The Swedish payments giant has partnered with Spanish artist Ignasi Monreal for the campaign, which has seen seven giant murals be painted across London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Each of the “epic mythical paintings” addresses what Klarna has called “misconceptions” and myths about the brand.

These include accusations that Klarna is a “tyrant targeting the innocent youth”, that its buy now, pay later service “hypnotises you into thinking you’re not spending real money”, and that it is making “making money from hidden and late fees”.

Bystanders will be able to scan QR codes in these murals and enter an interactive “Mythbuster Challenge”, where they are required to find answers to a question aimed at dispelling these negative allegations.

Klarna’s head of marketing AJ Coyne said: “Transparency is everything to us at Klarna and for too long misconceptions have existed about our brand, so we decided the best way to address this was head on and invite consumers to discover the truth.

“Given the ridiculous nature of the myths, we decided to create some epic mythical paintings and display them proudly across the UK. That said, a traditional media approach is not sufficient to change behaviour, so instead we’re inviting consumers to debunk in real time via our interactive experience and discover the truth for themselves.”

Try the challenge for yourself here.