The FCA has adopted an innovative approach to cinema advertising as it attempts to raise awareness of the risks associated with investment hype. The regulator has commissioned a new ad that will run immediately before screenings of the film Dumb Money, which based on the notorious David-versus-Goliath battle that resulted in huge speculative investments being made in video game retailer GameStop in early 2021.
The FCA’s ad aims to help consumers understand the impact hype can have on investment decision making and encourages them to carry out thorough research before committing to any opportunities they encounter online. The new screen ad comes as part of the FCA’s ongoing InvestSmart campaign.
The ad will run in the so-called gold spot, the final 65 seconds after the trailers and immediately before the film begins. It leverages the ‘sensory deprivation’ experience of cinema viewing to create maximum impact.
With the lights down, over a blank screen, a voiceover enthuses about a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make some serious money’. It is then revealed that the anonymous tipster is in fact typing in an online forum. The ad ends with the FCA’s call to action: ‘Don’t Get Played.’
The main cinema ad is supported by additional advertising on digital screens in cinema foyers, as well as geo-targeted display ads tailored to people who have visited cinemas, reinforced by ads in contextual locations online where the target audience is likely to research investments. The aim is to connect with audiences both before and after the film, reminding them what they should do before they invest.
The FCA’s InvestSmart campaign encourages consumers to make better-informed investing decisions that suit their financial circumstances and attitude to risk.
Links:https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/dumb-money-cinema-advertising-premieres-innovative-advert