CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Metro Credit Union has begun a unique advertising campaign that allows for human interaction. Time Warner Cable customers with specially enabled cable boxes can participate in a campaign that tests interactive television advertising.
The ads features a 30-second spot with former NBA star Muggsy Bogues shooting baskets while describing how Charlotte Metro CU can help with people's banking services. Viewers then are given the option of learning more.
Here's how it works: When a viewer sees the Muggsy spot running on a Time Warner Cable channel, a special overlay is generated, prompting the viewer to select "A" on his or her remote control to hear Muggsy share more information about Charlotte Metro CU. Pressing "A" during the overlay sends a request that switches the viewer to a channel playing a nine-minute Charlotte Metro documentary that describes credit unions and why they are a great alternative to traditional banking, and also tells the history of the Charlotte Metro.
"We came up with a plan to put out a commercial that would link to a documentary offering consumers information about what a credit union is," Nathan Tothrow, marketing director at the $140 million credit union, told The Credit Union Journal.
The 30-second commercial is shown often between the primetime television-viewing hours of 6 p.m. and midnight on networks, such as BET, MTV, Oxygen and VH1, with hopes of appealing to a younger audience: a primary goal of 25 to 35 years old, and secondary goal of 18 to 24 years old.
So far, about 1,420 spots have run and about 240 have responded to view the documentary. "I am very happy with that," Tothrow said.
