No one expects a barrel of laughs to follow a knock on the door from the SEC. However, a new ad campaign shows a different side of the regulator.
Grygo is the chief content officer for FTF & FTF News.
Move over, “Jeopardy,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” “The Price is Right” and “Wheel of Fortune!”
There’s a new game show in town and it’s backed by a well-known sheriff — the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — now with a sense of humor. Well, sort of. No one expects a barrel of laughs to follow a knock on the door from the SEC.
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has launched what it’s calling is “a game show-themed public service campaign to help investors make informed investment decisions and avoid fraud,” according to the regulator, which wants more investors, especially those who are new to the game, to use the services of Investor.gov
The ad campaign is a nod to the notion that “sometimes investing may look and feel like a game.” But we know that sometimes it can all end in a nightmare. The SEC is making certain that its “Investomania” set of TV spots and videos stresses the point that investors must “do their due diligence when making investment decisions,” and stay informed.
“One of the goals of the Investomania campaign, which features a 30-second TV spot, 15-second informational videos on crypto assets, margin calls, and guaranteed returns, and interactive quizzes, is to reach existing, new, and future investors of all ages,” according to the SEC. “The campaign encourages investors to research investments and get information from trustworthy sources to understand the risks before investing. The campaign also reminds investors to take advantage of the free financial planning tools and information on Investor.gov, the SEC’s resource for investor education.”
For the 30-second TV spot, the SEC pokes fun at the meme stocks fiasco: “A game show host asks two contestants to pick a square on a video game board with investment options including: internet rumors, celebrity endorsements, stock tips from your uncle, crypto to the moon, FOMO, meme stocks, tulip bulbs, guaranteed returns, and timing the market. The video is designed to show investors the consequences of their investment decisions and to help investors understand the importance of protecting themselves when making investment decisions. After the contestants make their choices, the video shows, in a fun and comedic way, the consequences of a good or a bad choice.” The ad, which actually is amusing, can be found here: https://bit.ly/3NopqUz
- The SEC has also created three 15-second videos:
- The Crypto video focuses on celebrity endorsements of crypto-assets: “Trust me, I’m an actor.” The video urges investors to avoid being “tempted by celebrity endorsements and to do their own, independent research when making investment decisions,” according to the SEC. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/L3TwZOMm6Wc
- The SEC takes on Easy Money: “This video reminds investors that there are no guaranteed financial returns on investments and that every investment – no matter how good it may sound – has a risk. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/6uVGEG5W16Q
- The video series also focuses on the dangers of margining: “This video warns investors that borrowing money to invest can be very risky.” Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/yB7KJ1nlKsM
An actress featured in the SEC’s ad campaign.
“We continue to look for creative and memorable ways to reach and educate investors, and we hope this year’s public service campaign, with its lighthearted approach, will attract the attention of all kinds of investors,” says Lori Schock, director of the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, in a prepared statement.
“Investors are inundated with a lot of so-called ‘investment advice,’ and we encourage investors to outsmart the chatter by doing their own research and going to Investor.gov for information on how to avoid fraud and invest for their future,” Schock says.
The SEC reports that “more than 40 million users have accessed Investor.gov since it launched in October 2009, and thousands of investors are testing their investing knowledge by taking a new quiz published each month on Investor.gov/quiz”
The fun begins here: https://bit.ly/3xo0F5p
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