Can You Tell the Difference Between a DJ and a Financial Planner?


Arnold continues its ongoing Public Awareness Campaign for Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. today with the release of “Can You Tell the Difference?”

The 30-second TV spot presents several people with what they think is a professional financial planner, but is actually DJ/Pirates of the Caribbean actor Azmyth Kaminski, who shed 14 years of dreadlocks to appear in the ad. Kaminski asks individuals seeking financial advice if they would trust him as their financial advisor. When they reply that they would, he reveals his true identity. The stunt was designed to highlight the importance of selecting a financial advisor with CFP certification. “Anyone can hold him or herself out to the public as a financial advisor or planner,” says CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller, CAE.  “We urge consumers to seek someone who has demonstrated competency and ethics by achieving CFP certification, the highest standard for the financial planning profession.”

This latest phase of Arnold’s ongoing campaign includes print and banner ads in addition to the television spot, as well as sponsorship messages on National Public Radio and a retooled CFP Board website. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Zulu Alpha Kilo Explores Daddy Issues for Coke Zero’s Latest ‘Moment Zero’

For their latest campaign for Coke Zero,  Zulu Alpha Kilo, along with social media agency Dare, found real hockey stories online using social media and retold them with Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos. The newly released second film in the series, “The Trade,” tells Shawn Warford‘s story of being traded from the team his father coached.

At the beginning of the spot, Stamkos (as Warford) enters his father’s office and is told he is being traded. “You can’t trade me, I’m your son” he replies, followed by an annoying and completely unnecessary voiceover intrusion proclaiming “That’s going to be an awkward car ride home.” Between the terrible acting and gratuitous VO, this is where, if I wasn’t paid to write about it, I would stop watching this ad. To be fair, it does pick up a little bit from here, thanks largely to Bob the zamboni driver.

Bob explains why Kevin Wheeler gives the team exactly what they’re looking for and is the perfect trade. He goes on to enthusiastically extoll the virtues of the team’s new addition at length. A fed up Stamkos asks for the new jersey, which is when the spot slows down to tell us this is his “Moment Zero.” In the first game with his new team, he goes on to score five goals, each dedicated to exacting revenge for a different moment his father pissed him off.  ”It’s a moment he wouldn’t trade for anything,” says the annoying narrator in what is supposed to be the payoff. At least they (eventually) used Stamkos for what he’s good at (scoring goals) after what felt like an eternity of Stamkos struggling through what he’s terrible at (acting). I understand and appreciate the social engagement the “real hockey stories” angle brings to the table, but next time let’s have a higher ratio of hockey to stories. Or get a hockey player that can act, if such a person exists. Credits and the first installment of the “Moment Zero” campaign after the jump. continued…

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NABS Vintage Intern Auction Could Be Auctioning Off Your Nightmare Boss

If you’ve ever had a nightmare boss in advertising, Zulu Alpha Kilo’s latest spot for NABS Vintage Intern Auction should appeal to you.

The NABS Vintage Intern Auction auctions off “twelve notable executives and thought leaders,” to be used as interns for a day, for the Canadian charitable group NABS, who provide assistance for people in communications and related industries who need help due to illness, injury, unemployment or financial difficulties. Winning bidders can assign their interns to do anything from giving a speech or holding a seminar to cleaning up the kitchen or getting coffee.

The spot highlights the revenge aspect of the auction, with bidders attempting to win the right to boss around a truly awful Chief Creative Officer. At the center of the spot is the eventual winning bidder, a man  with an eye patch who the CCO told, “If you can work from home, you can work from Intensive Care.” He outbids the woman the CCO called “Sarah in bed and then said ‘I’m so sorry, Diane,’ which isn’t [her] name either.” I don’t know what kind of work he has for the CCO, but it won’t be pretty. Perhaps cleaning the bathroom floor with a toothbrush?

As you can tell from the synopsis, Zulu Alpha Kilo isn’t afraid to push the boundaries a little bit with some risque humor, and the result is a spot that is actually funny. We’re guessing that since it’s for a good cause, no one will be offended. No CCOs were harmed in the making of this video. At least not any that didn’t deserve it.

Here’s the full list of the “interns” up for bids, in case your boss from hell is one of them:

Claude Carrier – President, DentsuBos

Mary Maddever – VP & Editorial Director, Brunico Publishing

Brent Choi – Chief Creative & Integration Officer – JWT

Lance Martin – Partner & Executive Creative Director, Union Creative

David Crichton – Partner, Creative Director, Grip Limited

Ian MacKellar – Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy

Simon Jennings – President, Gesca

Angus Tucker – Partner, Co-Creative Director, John Street

Mitch Joel – Author and President, Twist Image

Kenneth Wong – Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Queen’s School of Business

Amber Mac – President, co-founder, Konnekt; and co-host of App Central

Christina Yu – Executive Vice President, Creative Director, Red Urban

continued…

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