Hasta La Creative!

While in recent years many retailers have made infamous Black Friday sales into even more of a behemoth by pushing back their opening times so sales start earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving day, others, such as Costco, have gained public respect by bucking the trend. In a new campaign aimed at the most infamous shopping day of the year, Arnold Worldwide came up with a series of Black Friday alternatives for Santander Bank in an attempt to take back the “true meaning” of Thanksgiving (and make Santander look good by association).

In the above, 30-second spot, “Black Bean Soup Friday” for example, we see shots of a family rising early and piling in the car. “On…Black Friday, Tom and his kids will rise before the sun,” the voiceover informs us, “They will beat the crowds” it goes on as the car speeds along. But, in what’s designed to be a surprise, they “…pass the department stores with lines around the block,” and instead go volunteer at a local soup kitchen. “There are many ways to make the day after Thanksgiving meaningful,” the spot concludes, “How will you spend your day?”

This may seem like an unusual move for a financial institution who stands to benefit from a rush of holiday spending, but Santander claims its “family-values focused European roots run deep” and that they have a “commitment to Real Change and challenging traditional perceptions of banking.” So by taking a stab at Black Friday, in a way designed to be heartwarming, Arnold is distancing Santander from other banks, and attempting to make people think that, unlike their competitors, Santander stands for something. Other Black Friday alternatives suggested in the campaign are “Black Top Friday” (spent playing basketball with friends and family) and “Black Belt Friday” (spent watching Kung-Fu flicks). (more…)

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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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