Ad Council and AARP: The Avo Show by OMD

Nearly one-in-three people approaching retirement age (28%) think they’re more likely to learn Bigfoot is real than to save enough to retire comfortably, according to a recent survey from AARP and the Ad Council. To empower more Americans to take steps to get on track with their savings, AARP and the Ad Council today announced new public service advertisements (PSAs) and resources on AceYourRetirement.org.

According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, seven in 10 Americans (68%) approaching retirement have less than a year’s income saved for retirement. The new PSAs make saving for retirement less intimidating by evoking the nostalgic and playful tone of children’s educational TV shows from the 70s and 80s.

The national campaign was created pro bono by media and creative agency OMD Create, leveraging their new model of planning media strategy and developing creative work in tandem. The PSAs will appear in donated media nationwide in TV, digital, out of home, radio, print, and social-optimized video formats. The music for the TV and radio spots was composed by Gary William Friedman, music director of longtime kids show, The Electric Company.

The PSAs introduce viewers to ‘Avo,’ the digital retirement coach from AceYourRetirement.org. By offering a first-of-its-kind interactive chat experience, the site is designed to inspire confidence and action.