Making a financial investment isn’t a joke, but the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) is putting a light-hearted spin on the topic in a new campaign created by Calgary’s Parallel.
The ad campaign’s goal is to raise awareness of the investing process and the educational material available at the ASC, which is now easily accessible on a new Web site (also designed by Parallel). CD Joe Hospodarec says the message is ‘to be fully aware of financial options and to investigate [firms].’
However, what’s interesting is that the print and radio ads use humour to appeal to a 25-to-34 target demo. Hospodarec says humour is effective because it makes people comfortable.
He adds that the ASC wants to ‘educate people earlier on in the cycle before they enter their prime earning years, so that when they have money and are prepared to invest they know where to turn for information.’
The campaign was based on research conducted among Albertans. It found that 50% of those surveyed had not heard of the ASC. Among the 25-to-34 demo awareness was even lower, with 65% having never heard of the ASC. Also, Hospodarec says the ASC was known for being ‘a watchdog organization for fraud. But the fact they provide a lot of investor education material wasn’t resonating.’
Three print executions and two radio spots are meant to change that. In one print ad, a man who has already been electrocuted is shown reading a book entitled ‘Wiring Your Home Safely.’ Similarly, in one of the radio spots, an airline pilot can’t figure out how to get the plane into the air so he decides to drive it all the way to his destination.
The ads launched last month, and will run until the end of the year. Print ads were placed in youth- and entertainment-oriented publications such as Fast Forward Weekly and Avenue Magazine in Calgary and in Vue and See magazines in Edmonton. Radio is running on CJAY 92 in Calgary and on CISN and Power 92 in Edmonton.
Art Director: John Williamson
Copywriter: Kurt Beaudoin
Creative Director: Joe Hospodarec
Photographer: Hans Sipma
Studio Production: Mark Lovely
Account Director: Larry Bannerman
Account Supervisor: Linda Waldner
