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March 2008 - Strategy Magazine
Creative

Mackenzie snaps spendthrifts out of denial

by Annette Bourdeau
page 15

Are you a "Denialer"?

Toronto-based Mackenzie Investments is betting you just might be.

Its latest campaign builds on its successful "Burn Rate" platform, and features a peek at the Denialers, "the family of four that spends like fourteen." Video clips of the faux family have been posted at Burnrate.ca, and 10-second teasers are up on YouTube. One features mom Penny Denialer touring her walk-in closet, which includes more pairs of shoes than she can count.

"There's a little Denialer in all of us," says John Dale, EVP at Mackenzie Investments. "Canadian debt levels are up while savings levels are down. That's a really bad combination."

The campaign, by Toronto-based Lowe Roche, aims to make people think about their financial health and consider sitting down with a Mackenzie personal finance advisor. Dale says the target is broad, from twentysomethings still learning how to budget to those about to retire.

"The family exemplifies the point for people to see themselves in those videos and go, 'Oh, my Lord,'" says Geoffrey Roche, CCO at Lowe Roche. "It makes people quite uncomfortable at times."

The campaign includes TV, online and print executions, which all drive traffic to Burnrate.ca. The site is equipped with tools like the "Cashflow Calculator" as well as free podcasts and books. "It's a rich area we've had a lot of fun with over the years," says Dale of the "Burn Rate" concept. "It's challenging to keep a good idea fresh."

advertiser: John Dale, EVP, marketing and sales; Valerie Shaw, VP marketing; Kolleen Hanna, marketing manager, Mackenzie Investments

agency: Lowe Roche

CCO/copywriter: Geoffrey Roche

VP/CD: Christina Yu

ACD/copywriter: Joseph Bonnici

ADs: Patrick Shing, Chris Avgerinos

business manager: Lachlan Renwick

head of production: Beth MacKinnon

agency producer: Jennifer Mete

photographers: Chris Buck, Christopher Stevenson

digital producer: Trish Quenneville

prodco: Sons and Daughters, Toronto

director: Matthew Eastman

DOP: Johnny Cliff

editing house: School Editing

off-line editors: Brian Wells, Aaron Dark

online editors: Rodney Dowd, Paul Binney

audio post-prodco: Company X Audio

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