The department for work and pensions has launched a media campaign costing £8.54m designed to encourage employers to engage more with workplace pensions.
The TV advertisements feature a blue and purple, fluffy creature named ‘Workie’ – meant to be the physical embodiment of small workplace pensions – who visits people in their workplace asking them not to ignore him.
Early reactions to the campaign have not been favourable.
Martin Jenkins, head of pensions at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “I’m concerned about this campaign as I think the government runs the risk of insulting the intelligence of and therefore alienating thousands of cash-strapped small businesses and their staff who will see this for what it is – taxpayers’ money being spent badly on a silly gimmick.”
Adviser View:
David Brooks, technical director for London-based Broadstone, said: “I fear the £8.5m price tag will be targeted if the strategy fails, when it could have been spent on a different approach involving more direct communications with employers, rather than hoping busy people running small businesses are paying attention to adverts between Emmerdale and Corrie.”
