Being Too Cool Will Be The Ruination of Everything

We've all seen it. The credit union commercial that tries juuuuust a little bit too hard to be hip, relying on slang that sounds like a 50-year-old's idea of how kids talk. Or the flyer that attempts to reach out to Gen Y by adopting a too-casual attitude about finances.

Recently I got a chance to hang out with some guys and gals who are a bit younger than me, abut 20 or 21. We got to talking about a recent ad campaign launched by a business that was trying way too hard, and one thing that struck me was how they regarded this attempt to communicate through pop culture buzz phrases. 

They didn't like it. At. All. 

In a world where it isn't inconceivable that a company would form it's latest YouTube video around Miley's performance at the VMA's, the next generation of members seems to be wholly unaffected by these stunts.

It makes sense. I'm cool with my favorite bar being goofy. Heck, even my supermarket can do some crazy ad campaigns and I'm fine with it. However, the place that I put my money? I'd rather like it to be serious the majority of the time, thank you very much.

This doesn't mean that there's no place for mirth and fun, just that it has to be done right. The Young & Free campaign is a great example of how a credit union can do an authentic, amazing, fun marketing effort without missing them mark (and I'm not just saying that because I used to be a spokester!).

What do you think? Where does the line between innovative and fun turn into desperate and obvious?

DeAndre

DeAndre Upshaw is a former Young & Free Texas Spokester. He's a marketing professional living in Dallas and a Beyonce enthusiast. DeAndre is the host and executive producer of The State of Awesome. Follow him on Twitter and check out his personal website.