The Credit Crunch: it’s on everyone’s agenda at the moment, and the US treasury sits a the centre of the global economic shitstorm. I’ve just come across their online game: the bad credit hotel, which was developed with Lowe Worldwide and is designed to prevent another credit crunch by educating youngsters about how to manage their credit. Although it’s been around since mid-Sept I came across it today thanks to this banner ad (see gallery) on the CNN politics blog. It’s part of a wider campaign outlined here which aims to broadcast the message “Don’t let your credit put you in a bad place.” Sensible stuff.
In conjunction with the website the US Treasury is running english and spanish radio and TV spots (see vid below).
The game itself is pretty good, to say how dry the content is, splitting down relevant information into handy soundbites and relating them to everyday objects, for instance the hotel phone informs you that a credit advisor can’t contact you between 9pm and 8am. The atmospheric music and creepy hotel staff work perfectly with the throwback 50s style visuals. Here’s a couple of screenshots:
If you get bored and you just want the info there’s an easy link through to a plain US treasury site. I suspect very few people will complete the game but I think its a great attempt to get people in a tough demographic interested in something everyone is fatigued with at the moment. Putting long term, educational measures in place to avoid a replication of the crisis we’re experiencing now has to be applauded, especially when it’s done in such a professional and engaging way.
Here’s one of the TV spots – Metal Con!
Good Ad Bad Ad 