Egg is a British online banking firm, offering banking, investments and insurance. They have won recognition of their online efforts to cater for the needs of disabled people. Another outstanding part of their online presence is the set of three quicktime videos, featuring their warnings about con artists, encouraging people to take charge of their own money, using Egg online access. “(The adverts) are about the conmen and women – scam artists – who could try to separate you from your hard-earned cash. Shot in spoof documentary-style and directed by Academy Award nominated documentary director Brett Morgen, they give a dramatic insight into the minds of these unscrupulous characters. Just watch out for them in real life….”
Pyramid
A con woman talks to her potential ‘business partners’, convincing them they can develop a passive income by giving her $700 for the Fellowship. Then it’s up to them to convince someone else to do the same for them. “This is not a pyramid scheme”, she says.
Lottery
Two scam artists talk people out of their money on the phone. The processing fee for accessing lottery prizes. “There’s one born every minute”, one of them says.
Turf
A farmer digs up his paddocks in preparation for sale as “genuine Wembley Turf” complete with white court paint. “English will buy anything. I’m a businessman, not a conman”, he says.
Credits
The campaign was developed at advertising agency Mother, London by copywriter Ben Mooge, art director Rosanna Baradales and agency producer Janine Levy.
Director Brett Morgen worked with producer Gregg Cundiff at Anonymous Content/Independent.
Post production was done at The Moving Picture Company. Editing was done by Jun Diaz at MacKenzie Cutler, New York. Music was developed at Jungle, London.
POSTSCRIPT
Unfortunately Egg have removed their ads from their website. Perhaps their market research showed them that television viewers were beginning to associate EGG with scams and fraud.