The Pit - IMI Trust

After commenting on AAMI and Zyrtec on their mixed messages, one of the top Australian banks, the ANZ Bank have out-clevered everyone, even themselves, to deliver the worst message to their customers - the result can be viewed here.

For those not inclined to download the video, here’s a quick summary.  The theme of the advert is to demonstrate the lengths ANZ go to, to provide security for their clients.

The nerdy, secure banking guy goes through an eye scanner, a finger print scanner, has to smash open a small glass cabinet to press a button and so on, just to get into his office.  At the end of this sequence this is where the advertisement goes pear-shaped. 

After all the security measures, the door to the office does not open. So the nerdy looking character knocks on the door and a lady lets him in.  What the advertisement is saying that the security checks are pointless, technology doesn’t work and human intervention will resolve the issue.  It is clear that ’no matter what security measures we implement, there are always ways around the system’.

I seriously hope this is not the case.  Of course, adverts are supposed to be humourous but I am sure there are many people who viewed this in the same way.  This means lost customers and lost revenue.

At the moment it seems, the advertising industry does not have its values aligned with the finance sector.  Financial groups not to continue reassure clients and build relationships that their money is safe.  An advert like this could cause a lot of damage.  If ANZ was your company, would you allow your reputation to be harmed in this way?

Social media again in the news with the History Matters website in the UK attempting to get as many people in the British public as possible to blog their day.  This kind of social census is not a new as time capsules have been around many years. 

Interestingly enough, the blog is the medium of choice for this project as it has become the medium that most ’ordinary’ people use to record their lives.  October 17 was chosen deliberately as it has no cultural significance and allows the scribes the ability to write about the normalcy of their day. 

The great thing about the project is that I can think of no other occasion where I would be fascinated to read about a child’s day at school.  The fact that a child is able to communiate via the blog medium shows that anyone can do it.  Yes, even you.