The print ad I saw went like this:
A 20-something fashion-savvy black woman whose ad is headlined: “I don’t cook. So I made my eat-in kitchen a fabulous walk-in closet.” The photograph shows her in the kitchen, with the cabinets open to showcase her handbags, shoes and sweaters. “My name is Grace and I live in a small apartment in a big city. And since I enjoy a day of shopping far more than, say, cooking, I decided to do a bit of home remodeling. So with my Citi card in hand, I set out to get some closet organizers. I bought a shoe rack for the oven, sweater boxes for the lower cupboards and some 12-inch baskets for handbags up above. I saved room for plates, glasses and silverware. And one large drawer stuffed with take-out menus.” More from the ABA here on the series. More on this ad specifically here.The tagline is then - "Whatever your story is, your Citi card can help you write it.” Yeah, they are cute too. Here is a TV Spot:
In the ABA piece, Caputo says, "We want people to select the Citi card because, in so doing, we can help them live a piece of their dream.”
What dream is that exactly? It's a credit card. The print ad irked me because it shows this woman with kitchen cabinets overload with...stuff. Non-kitchen stuff at that. The card is basically aiding her addiction to shopping.
Now we all have our own dreams. I know I do. I'd love to be able to read the Sunday New York Times front to back...just once. I also want to be a superhero. And if your dream happens to be shopping for more and more stuff, so be it. But still.
To me, the ad emits an empty and exploitative attempt at the emotions of people who want what they can't afford. "Hey, use this card to live your dreams. All it takes is one swipe."
It's a dangerous game. The number of 18 to 24-year-olds declaring bankruptcy has increased 96% in 10 years. In 2007, a Charles Schwab survey on teens and money reported that only 45% of teens know how to use a credit card, while just 26% understood credit-card interest and fees.
What does your credit union's credit card ads look like? What kind of message are you sending?
At any rate, I think you can look at Citi Cards' ads as what NOT to do.
RSS
4 comments:
Chris, I wish I could see the print ad to get the full visual. But, I will say that what you are describing sounds no more offensive than any other credit card ads. For example, Mastercard "priceless" ads send the same message.
On a side note, I have a few girlfriends who live in small urban apartments, who use their kitchens as closet space. So, I can totally relate to the ad. If someone doesn't cook and spends more money on clothes, is that any worse than a chef whose kitchen is overflowing with appliances and cooking gadgets?
At least the woman in the ad did something productive -- organized her stuff / improved her living situation -- in contrast to the "priceless" ad that shows a couple spending $100s on dinner with the tagline: Giving your kitchen the night off; priceless.
Terrell - I agree with you. My issue wasn't with the depiction of the lady in the kitchen. That's her business.
My problem was with the way it was depicted (and same goes for the Mastercard ads - they are a little shallow at times). Commercials and magazine ads are fake, yes I know, but this one seemed worse because it implies that you need a credit card to realize your dreams or something. "We'll give you your dream...actually we'll loan it to you, but don't miss a payment, otherwise you're screwed."
BTW - I saw the ad in this week's New Yorker, right after the inside front cover.
Christopher, I am intrigued by your insights into the ad, but it makes me curious to know what you suggest to be a more appropriate way to advertise for a credit card? They all operate the same way, and most people use them to buy things they want now and can pay for later. I don't think it is right to say that a credit union/bank should limit their ads to say, "Use this card to borrow money, and we will only charge you 16% interest." The reality is that people use credit cards to buy stuff they can't afford with cash, but how can you show people that they can use your card to get the things they want today, but still be a responsible financial institution? Did the advertisement give you any good ideas?
Melina - Thanks for the comment and I apologize for the rant-esque style of my post, which I see now a little in re-reading. It's also hard to conceptualize without seeing the ad (I looked and looked, but only turned up videos).
I should have prefaced my post with a note about how seeing this ad comes on the heels of my research for my 30 under 30 Filene project where I turned up some awesome credit cards. For example, Canada's Vancouver City Savings Credit (Vancity) offers the "enviroFund" Visa card - 5% of Vancity's credit card profits are awarded to local non-profit organizations dealing with environmental concerns. Card holders annually vote on the environmental issues that the enviroFund monies support. In the United Kingdom, the Co-operative Bank offers the "think credit card" which offers a competitive APR and also supports protecting the environment. Among other benefits, for every £100 spent, 25p is donated to an organization that buys and protects the rainforest.
By comparison, the Citi ads just seem crass.
More info - enviroFund:
https://www.vancity.com/MyCommunity/CommunityFunding/EnviroFund/
think credit card - http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1193206378031,CFSweb/Page/Bank-CreditCards
But Melina, your question gets to the heart of it - "but how can you show people that they can use your card to get the things they want today, but still be a responsible financial institution?" I don't have the answer, only more questions!
I'd like to see an ad that has a little emotional appeal, but is more realistic (unlike the Citi kitchen ad or the Norway one - how many people are just charging their groceries or textbooks?!) and has some info about how the credit union is non-profit and will work with you to ensure you don't miss a payment (budgeting) and is looking out for you...and not just your money. Because you are more than a customer, but a member.
Post a Comment