I was talking last week with Carlson School of Management Professor David Hopkins about what it will take to get people to stop living beyond their means.

A branding expert, Hopkins said maybe we needed a public service campaign the likes of Smokey the Bear, or the crying Native American canoeing through dirty water for saving and spending.

Anti-smoking ads are the latest example.

I was proposing an ad featuring seniors digging through dumpsters or eating cat food because they have no money in retirement.

Have an ad idea that you think would scare Americans into saving? Then read on.

Students (including grad students) ages 14 and older can win $5,000 for school expenses if their public service announcement for so-called “debt disease” is picked as the winner. The web-based video contest at www.KeepItInYourPants.org–a site worth visiting even if you have no plans to enter the contest. The contest is co-sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and the League of Young Voters.

You have until March 19th to send in your entry.

The sponsors say the contest is a response to readily available credit for college students:

“Credit card debt can ruin your life, spreading and growing like a disease,” said Stephen Lerner, SEIU Assistant to the President and Director of the Private Equity Project. “We’re warning young people of the dangers of ‘Debt Disease’—and urging them to protect themselves the same way they would against any other dangerous and contagious social epidemic.”

What do you think? Will such a campaign work?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 3:33 pm and is filed under credit, debt. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.