Now that I’m working in advertising I find myself studying and critiquing different types of advertisements. I mentioned how dumb I thought it was for a local grocery store to use a QR code in a TV ad in my article QR codes: The good, the bad, and the ugly.
So I’ve decided to start a new category on this blog called dumbest commercials. And to kick off this ignominious list is the company Title Max.
Here’s a company spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on radio, print, online, and television ads with the catchy slogan “I got my title back with Title Max.”
Now let’s think about this for a minute. Some executive at Title Max was given the responsibility of going out and finding an advertising agency to come up with a catch phrase and ideas for a commercial. Or maybe this executive decided he didn’t need to pay an advertising agency and thought he could come up with his own slogan and commercial. Either way. Some one suggested “I got my title back with Title Max,” and someone else signed off on it.
Okay, so let’s look at this a bit closer because obviously no one at Title Max did. So I’m in need of some cash. And, hey, I’ve seen this company on TV. I bet I can get some money from these guys. All I have to do is give them the title to my car as collateral. And here’s the good part. If I pay then 100% interest or more on my loan, they give me my title back. What a deal! If for some reason I can’t pay the money back in a reasonable time, well, Title Max repossess my car because now it’s their car. Not good.
Okay, so now we got the perfect catch phrase and our idea for a commercial. We’ll get a bunch of down-on-their- luck-looking people who are so excited that they got their title back for their car that they’re practically dancing. Hey guys! I got my title back with Title Max!
How about this moron. Maybe you should find another way to get money because the people at Title Max not only have a racket going they have executives who sign off on commercials that make absolutely no sense.
So here’s to you Title Max. You’re first on my list, and I have a feeling that you have a good chance of making my dumbest of list at the end of the year. If you’d like to cast your vote for Title Max, write a comment. It will help me in deciding the dumbest commercial of 2011.
Hey Emilio, If your in advertising, how can you consider the Title Max commercial “dumb”? Obviously their slogan projects an image exactly the opposite of what they intend to do, but it is very effective at targeting their intended audience: Total idiots…………Only a complete idiot would get their self into such a dismal situation, where their credit is so trashed, that they have to give up the title to their last worthy possesion in order to get a little cash, then they get screwed out of that ! …………..Their advertising is very effective, and there making a lot more money than you or me……..Their adv. is not “dumb” it is deceptive.
I can answer that for him. Because he personally would prefer smarter, reasonable advertising approaches to marketing when sometimes the simplest things will convince people to screw themselves. And that’s not entirely true J.C., yes the ad attracts idiots but not TOTAL idiots. Let me ask you this, have you ever pawned your title? Cause I have. And I’m not a total idiot by a long or short shot. Ye see, their advertisement is actually both dumb and deceptive. Hence the catchy phrase. “Get Your Title Back With Title Max.” But it works. For it makes educated people, or at the very least, people who lack the ability to use their common sense, into believing that Title Max is helping them get their title back when it is them they have pawned it to, and they aren’t the ones helping to pay those fees nor that principle that was borrowed. My credit is nowhere near “trashed” and nor was I, personally, in a dismal situation when I pawned my title to Title Max… I did it for my parents and to continue to have a place to stay. And once they tried to give me a card to “refer” someone else into this disencrepant bull shit as if I’d encourage others to succumb to this stupidity I informed them that I would not impose this on anyone I know nor even my worst enemy. Please be mindful of your words and try not to group everyone into your assumptions unless you’re including yourself in the mix.
Thanx
If your credit wasn’t trashed and you weren’t an idiot you could just go to the bank or credit union and ask for a personal loan. My credit union gives signature loans to $5000 for 11% APR.
And if your credit is too trashed for a signature loan then you could get a cash advance on your credit card instead of a title loan.
Title loans are for dummies with no credit.
Emilio, the reason for the commercial is that TitleMax charges at most, HALF of the standard interest rate on title pawns. This allows the customers to get their titles back MUCH faster than with other title pawn companies – ergo, you can get your title back much EASIER with TitleMax (than with the competition).
Also, there is no limit as to how long the customer can keep the pawn open. As an example, if you pawn your title for $500, as long as you pay the accrued interest each month (usually $65 or so), you can keep that pawn open in perpetuity. Paying the minimum does NOT, however, pay anything toward the principle – and the payments will remain at $65 (or so) every month. Employees do encourage their customers to pay more than the minimum so that they can reduce the principle and get thier title back (hence, the commercial!). This builds repeat customers and leads the customers to refer other customers to the business.
Also, TitleMax HATES to repossess vehicles, as the repo and sale charges cut into profits. They would MUCH rather deal with the customers (even slow-paying ones) than repo a vehicle. Their repo rate is WELL below the industry standard – in the low single-digits of percentages.
For folks that can’t get credit from other lenders (banks, credit unions, etc), TitleMax is a better deal than other title pawn brokers that charge rates that usually double those of this company.
I won’t comment, however, on the crappy jingle used in the commercial…
Don’t do it! This was the biggest financial mistake of my life! The fine print will have you confused and stuck in a loan that is practically impossible to get out of! Friends, do not do this! Find another option for your financial woes. Title Max will only make your life worse! On a positive note, the employees are so friendly and wonderful to speak to– but I think their practices are appalling and depressing! Run Run Run Away from Title Max!!!
Omg, they’ve only gotten worse! Have you seen the new one? “Title Max gets you monay you monay you REEEEAL monaaay!” SO stupid!!! And it shows the dumb girl holding money while driving a car like a crazy person and looking at the camera instead of the road and.. Ugh.. It just makes me want to vomit knowing there are idiots who find actual employment doing this crap and idiots who actually fall for it.
What I can’t stand is that the jingle works on so many people, thinking titlemax has “helped’ them get their title back, happy to pay loan shark level interest.
agreed! I found your blog by typing titlemax dumbest commercial ever.
YES, It is an stupid slogan. “I got my title back with titlemax”…let’s break that slogan down just a bit. The third and fourth words ‘my title’, you already had ‘your title’, then gave it to titlemax. So HELLO, only an ignorant individual would believe that title max did you a favor. You are only acquiring a document that you ‘had in your possession to begin with’. Simply put, you already had ‘your title’, gave it away and now have to pay up the ass to get it back. Can you now see the ignorance? If not…look up ‘ingnorant’ in the dictionary, and be amazed by your own picture associated with the word.
TitleMax is still running this ad 10 years after you first posted about how dumb it is. Apparently they’ve done some market research and figured out the ad is effective.
It does seem dumb to me though.
Of course I got my title back. I paid off the loan and like all auto loans you don’t get to keep your title until you pay off the loan.