Our message is: power of help can make a difference

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Our message is: power of help can make a difference – FNB

22 January 2013 9:17

First National Bank has strongly denied allegations that its latest brand campaign is a “treacherous act” against the government or the country.

FNB said it was disturbed by these allegations regarding what is a positive message and believed its 2013 brand campaign – “You can help” – has been misinterpreted by the ANC Youth League.

The ANCYL yesterday said FNB had “shown its true colours” with this campaign.

“The intention is clear and the enemy is unmasked. For years, South Africans have implored those fortunate enough to have global links to refrain from speaking ill of our country.

“Today, FNB is bold enough to take off its nameless and faceless mask and show the extent it is willing to go to undermine the gains of our democracy and the legitimate, democratic government of the people,” said the ANCYL.

The ANC also accused the bank of “hiding behind the faces of innocent young people”. Read the story: FNB ‘hides behind innocent faces of young people’ – ANC

FNB chief marketing officer Bernice Samuels said the bank’s only intention with the campaign “is to provide a platform through which we believe, as South Africans, we can use the power of help to make a positive difference in building a stronger, unified, values based nation”.

FNB’s ad campaign features a speech by a 17-year-old student lamenting a multitude of problems, including greed and poor education that plague the country nearly 19 years after the end of apartheid.

Student Kelly Baloyi urges South Africans to overcome “greed, mistrust” as well as “petty politics” and rampant illiteracy.

In the strongly worded statement the ANCYL called upon South Africans to “close ranks against what is (a) treacherous attack on our country”.

“South Africa is not unique nor is it immune to the challenges facing the global economy and it is disingenuous for FNB to attempt to be a messiah instead of providing concrete solutions to the challenges confronting our nation” said the league.

The league also called the advertisement “treasonous” and labelled it a “lame attempt to recreate an Arab Spring of some sort in South Africa”.

The league accused Chief Executive Michael Jordaan of hiding behind the “faces of young, innocent children” and using them for “the whims and entertainment of capital to drive what is undoubtedly a treasonous agenda”.

The league said it calls the campaign “alleged”, because “until now, we find it impossible to believe that a bank formed and sustained by the hard work and toil of the South African people could so crudely turn on the very people who guarantee its livelihood.

“Allegedly, because it is intolerable to attempt to understand why First National Bank would agitate to destabilise the very same country that, through its many tribulations and triumphs, has afforded FNB a safe and secure environment from which to conduct business, prosper and grow.

“Allegedly, because young people are used in a callous and cruel manner, and we have to wonder whether indeed its Chief Executive, Michael Jordaan, would not have the courage to face the nation, the government and the ANC, when he agitates for an overthrow of our government.”

The ANCYL said business as a whole has more than enough platforms from which to raise any issues with the ANC government and there is no basis for such insults and treasonous attacks on our government.

Samuels said it was not FNB’s intention to attack the government or the ANC but rather to call on every South African in a practical and meaningful way to play their part in helping to create a better South Africa.

“FNB commissioned an independent survey, which highlighted that 70% of the youth are positive about the future of our country.

“We undertook this exercise as we strongly believe that the children of South Africa have an important voice and are critical to the country’s future success. Every interview was unscripted and uncensored – they are very much ‘from the heart’ of each child speaking.”

Read about the survey that informs the campaign: Youth ready for the future

Brent Tollman from creative agency MetropolitanRepublic echoed that the campaign was designed to have a positive impact.

“We want to participate in the social dialogue of the country and we want to have something meaningful and positive to say that can hopefully have an impact,” he told AFP.

Samuels said FNB hoped that South Africa will embrace the ad campaign and its intended message of helpfulness.

The banking group has since canned the campaign: FNB cans ad campaign

» Tell us what you think. Leave your comment below or join the debate: @City_Press or www.facebook.com/citypress.co.za

- Fin24

Quotable

Our intelligence service is an important ingredient of the fight against crime but it is not up to standard.

Former police commissioner George Fivas, commenting on South Africa’s intelligence and police services

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Comments

http://twitter.com/citizenrsa citizenrsa

I actually love the ad campaign. In light of recent calls by government and the ruling party to rally around the National Development Plan, this campaign, provides the right amount of energy to get things going. The only thing treasonous about the campaign is the comments being made by the political structures, who have, over recent years, admitted to failings in their constituencies. The speak about corrupion, maladministration and petty politics have been widely reported not only in government by the political parties themselves. These are stated facts that one can pull out from reports distributed and made available to the public. The notion that these are untested and unfounded claims is simply not true judging from the admissions made by both government and political parties. To suppress the views of our youth, to suppress the views of our people, to suppress the views of our industries, to bully, intimidate, threaten and/or marginalize those that want to participate in building an all inclusive democracy is to say the least, ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ – Have we forgotten the fundamental rights we fought so hard for?
http://www.facebook.com/douw.steyn.5245 Douw Steyn

At last we have an organisation with the strength of their convictions overriding their drive for
profit from business derived from the real traitors. Well done FNB!!

An attack on the president, the government, his self aggrandising, self enriching, self gormandising ministers
and the entire incompetent, overpaid government is long overdue.

What have the ANC, Ancyl, the Sacp ever produced to ensure concrete solutions to the challenges confronting our nation, given that a huge proportion of these problems are born from the deployment of incompetent, unqualified cadres?

Of course the naïve litle children of ANCYL will have a lot to say, they do not have the intellect the school children have to grasp the enormity or complexity of the problems facing our country. Let us not forget that they are also aiming for a place at the corruption, easy money, tender rigging trough and the gap left by Julius is not large enough to accommodate all contenders.

Do any of these mindless critics of the factual presentaion of the status quo by the children realise that they
are the prime perpertaitors of treason?

Treason is, amongst other things, spending millions on fancy hotels, lavish breakfasts, first class air travel,
limosines, opulent mansions, of which Nkandla is but the tip of the ice berg, designer clothing etc. ad nauseum.

This is why we have collapsed health services, education facilities, homeless, starving people, destitute
street children and fathers and mothers of the nation.

They have no voice, so FNB needs a special pat on the back for being there for them and to hell with the bile
which the real treasonists may spew in their futile attempt to validate their inept, useless bungling of governing the country effectively.
http://www.facebook.com/pisciotta Phil J Pisciotta

This was a powerful AD. I was proud for the children, I was proud for the parents of those children and I was proud of the people of SA who understood the message. This is a message not of despair, but of vision and determination. It is a message of democracy crying out from the mouths of the children who will, sooner than we wish perhaps, will be the leaders of SA. This is a message of hope. Hope in the youth of SA who will not tolerate anything less than freedom. Freedom from all that is evil. There is hope for SA and it is in the children. This AD can be a life changer for many. People of SA – do NOT allow your government to destroy the vision that these children have in their hearts. If you do, you will set yourself back a thousand years.

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