South African First National Bank (FNB) has released a statement today, February 1, to set the record straight regarding reports about its You Can Help campaign.
“Some media reports fail to differentiate between the TV advert itself and the survey interview clips and it is important to provide this clarity,” Bernice Samuels, Chief Marketing Officer at FNB said.
The aim of the latest release by FNB is to re-establish the goal of the reaction-provoking campaign as “to stimulate social consciousness around the power of help to build a better South Africa”.
All notions of attack on the government are “refuted” by FNB, accompanying an apology for the four survey interview clips that spiralled into an outrage.
“We are however pleased that the ANC has expressed its support for the overall FNB ‘You Can Help’ campaign, which continues,” the company’s spokesperson confirmed.
The bank admitted to have paid the child actors in the advertisements, as well as the allegations that the marketing was scripted, as based on the results of an anonymous research institution.
However, the survey (conducted with 1,300 respondents), features uninfluenced individual opinions for which participants were not paid.
An article in the government funded newspaper New Age, printed January 29, is singled out as faulty with reference to casting facts. Whereas the publication said the casting sheet was dated January 9, 2013, for the television broadcasting on January 17, 2013, it was in fact rather directed at the casting of the next phase due for later launch in 2013.
HumanIPO reported on the proof of scripted FNB advertisements on January 29.
The payment of children actors were said to be “industry standard”, according to Samuels.
