Gary Crocker, a well-known Maine humorist and a credit union member, talks positively about credit unions in a new commercial about Maine's credit unions.
The Maine Credit Union League has unveiled the new 2007 Television commercials that have begun airing as part of the League's Statewide Advertising Awareness Program. The new commercials, produced by Catama Films, focus on the benefits that using a credit union brings to consumers. The research for the new commercials emphasizes much of the findings of a comprehensive study, called An Examination of the Financial Benefits of Credit Unions to Maine Consumers, conducted in 2006 by Charles Lawton, a highly respected Maine economist. In his study, Lawton found that, in total, Maine consumers save $40 million a year just by using a Maine credit union. In addition to the economic impact study, the new commercials were produced using feedback from focus groups conducted in various regions of Maine.
Using the theme of "I Save," the four new commercials recently began airing in all three of Maine's television markets--Bangor, Portland and Presque Isle. As a result, the commercials will reach consumers in every Maine county through network and cable television.
All of the commercials were filmed in Maine and one of the individuals featured in one of the commercials is well-known Maine humorist, Gary Crocker of Augusta, a credit union member. Some of the benefits highlighted in the new spots are: credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives, a strength that means credit unions offer better rates and lower fees, and where every member is an owner; 600,000 Maine consumers use a credit union; everyone can use a Maine credit union; and there are more than 200 convenient locations from Kittery to Fort Kent.
In addition to the new TV commercials, the Maine Credit Union League also unveiled a new web site in conjunction with the campaign that assists consumers in finding a credit union, highlights the credit union difference, and other convenient tools and resources designed to provide answers and assistance to consumers interested in saving by using a Maine credit union. The address of the new site is
www.mainecreditunions.org.
