LETTERS ~ Off Colour Advertising Irks

The local Synergy Credit Union has a new advertising campaign.  Benches, billboards and print ads bolding exclaiming "I did it in my slippers," and another boasting, "I did it in my truck."  Underneath, there is a caption that reads, "I got a mortgage."

When we were driving through Lloydminster recently, Alisdair commented to me about the ads and after our discussion, he said he was going to write a complaint letter to the bank.

And so, despite the mail strike, he wrote a letter to Synergy Credit Union's President, Wayne White.  In order to deliver it, we put the letter in the night depository at the local branch and asked that the envelope be sent through the courier bag.

Alisdair's letter read as follows:

"I am an 11-year old member of Synergy Credit Union.  I am writing about your recent advertising scheme.  These ads are inappropriate.  They sound sexual.

Let's say this is on a billboard and you can't see "I got a mortgage" and only see "I did it in my slippers."  You would read:  "I did it in my slippers!"  This is bad enough, but take a look at this:

Once again, lets say you didn't see, "I got a mortgage."  You would read, "I did it in my truck!"  Is this some kind of a joke?  If you would say, "I got a mortgage!  It took no time at all!"  -- that is appropriate.  Does everything in today's modern life have to sound like it has something to do with sex?

Please try to keep your advertising cleaner."

Let's hope the "powers that be" take heed to Alisdair's concerns when they plan their next advertising campaign!