Feed The Pig
Taking a short break from all the eating and learning goings on downstairs to do some "reflecting" here in my room. We are snowed in at the moment, which is fine because the conference is in the same hotel as our rooms, so the snow outside my window provides a nice view. It is supposed to stop soon, so hopefully the flights out tomorrow will not be a problem.Last night, over dinner, we listened to a presentation by one of the higher-ups with the American Institute of CPAs. Apparently, the Ad Council (the folks responsible for Public Service Announcments that address critical social issues, the people who brought us Smokey Bear) has approached the AICPA to ask if we would back an ad campaign on financial literacy in America. There is a serious problem of "negative savings" in this country (which means people are spending more than they make, and not only not saving, but going into debt to make ends meet).
And so the AICPA, along with the Ad Council, brings you Feed The Pig. Check out the video ads that are about to run...coming to a theatre near you! I think they're pretty good but you be the judge.
posted by Gwynne @ 2:23 PM
7 Comments:
Gwynne,
Great idea on the Feed the Pig ads, including the AICPA's association with the ads. The videos were short and effective except for....
...the portrayal of the pig in the videos leaves a lot to be desired, IMHO. He's a combination of a laugh and a scream (as in horror). Feeding the Pig comes off as a rather odious activity, again I think, because of the actor and the makeup used for the Pig.
How about if they tried to use this guy? Wilfred Brimley can come off as a funny and a serious guy, er, pig.
I was wondering if Mr Pig was played by Jeff Daniels? I love the one where he slaps the guy's wrist. That's great!
Darko, I must admit the Pig gives me the shivers...odious is right...he made me think of a certain Uncle you mentioned. 8-}
As I watched, I wondered if he would elicit the right response from people. But I decided that I, for one, would probably feed him just to keep him out of my pockets. ;-)
Jim, I'll bet that's right! I could almost recognize the face (scary as that sounds). I liked the look on the salesman's face when he slapped the guy's wrist also. This ought to go over well with commissioned sales people everywhere. ;-)
Darko, I wasn't able to access the image you linked, but would like to see it. Another thought on the odious activity of feeding the Pig is that perhaps there is a bit of reverse psychology going on, like, "Hey, I know I'm not really supposed to do this, but here you go...now can I buy the dress?"
I think I am officially of the wrong generation for those ads. (Though probably I'm supposed to be in the "target" generation, being in my lower 30s.) But, um, I don't get it. Is "the pig" meant to be the piggy bank? As in, don't forget to save for retirement?
Good message, but really seems to be...well...hopefully other people watching will get it. :)
On the other hand, I married a saving fool, so our financial planner wants us to adopt him.
Yes, Beth, I think The Pig is really the piggy bank to you and me. I think the target audience is not you and Tim. ;-) This is intended to reach those who don't save. But then, we must wonder if they even know what a piggy bank is, in order to make this connection. Not sure how it will be received, or if it will change much before airing.
I think the message is very clear. Though I only "got it" when I watched the salesman spot featuring the wrist slapping. I think that spot was the second one I looked at.
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