• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, July 14, 2008

The CollegeBoundfund, a nationwide college tuition savings plan available through the Rhode Island Treasurers Office and the R.I. Higher Education Assistance Authority, launched a campaign throughout Rhode Island advising residents to refrain from panicking when thinking about the cost of college for their children.

TV, radio, bus and online ads, created by Nail Communications, use humor to educate residents about tuition options that are affordable and easy to understand.

A 30-second TV spot shows a father flipping channels and stopping on a televised spelling bee championship as his young child spins around the room with a cardboard box on his head. The spot references the College Savings Crunch Survey, conducted by AllianceBernstein, which found that 72% of parents believe that their children will receive a scholarship to go to the college of their choice.

AllianceBernstein Investments is also the company that created the CollegeBoundfund, which viewers would easily know if they were proficient in reading the fine print in TV spots.

Bumper-sticker messages on bus sides read, "My child is a star student, which would be great if you could pay for college with gold stars," "My child is on the honor roll and I don't want to sell any vital organs," and "My child is an honor student at howtheheckamigoingtopayforcollege Middle School." Each ad ends with the tagline, "Don't Panic. Plan."

I like the copy for these ads -- but contact information was devoid from creative. Where's a phone number or URL? A URL is present in the TV spot, so why not outdoor elements, where it's crucial to drive eyeballs some place?