UK TV Loan Adverts

We take a look at some of the most notable TV loan adverts across the last few years, taking a deep dive into the methods they’ve used to advertise and where these companies are now.

Amigo Loans TV Advert

The Amigo Loans advert uses a simple premise to help advertise their loans. With Amigo Loans you need a guarantor to take out money, so they’ve played on this metaphor by using a blue clay character walking beside the man who needs a loan, protecting him from obstacles such as getting soaked by an awning full of water, and helping him cross the road safely.

A critical approach to this would suggest that this falsifies the concept of a guarantor, as in reality if you, the consumer, do not pay your loans back on time, your friend or loved one would be met with the burden of having to pay instead. A more realistic approach would be to have an actor play the friend or loved one, rather than picturing the guarantor as a fictional character who has the sole intent of protecting you from harm.

*Example of repayment for Amigo Loans

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 49.9%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £1123.45
Difference: £123.45

Wonga TV Advert

In this advert we see 3 puppets of elderly workers in an office, explaining the slider system on their website. With this you can choose how much you want, and how long until you can pay it back, and it demonstrates how much it’ll cost you.

Using elderly characters to promote loans possibly provides the viewer with the feeling that they are experienced, they care about you as they would their grandchildren, and the online process is so simple that they find it easy, whilst stereotypically the elder generations would not be so experienced with using the internet. Overall this provides a false sense of security, whilst using humour to make the viewer feel better about taking out a loan, whether they necessarily need it or not.

The Wonga adverts undertook a lot of scrutinies whilst in operation. The adverts often failed to state their APR, such as the one above, which in some cases was as high as 5853%. Wonga was once the UK’s biggest payday lender but collapsed in 2018. After a government clampdown on payday lenders, thousands of unhappy customers sought to claim compensation from Wonga, resulting in the company filing for administration.

*Example of repayment for Wonga

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 5853%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £29,265.71
Difference: £28,265.71

Drafty TV Advert

In a more recent advertisement for our UK screens, in 2022 Drafty appeared, using humour to encourage us to take out quick loans. The advert features 3 bank robbers about to enter the bank, met by an onlooker who tells them they should just consider using Drafty instead to pay their unexpected bills. The bank robbers are then easily convinced to stop what they’re using and use Drafty instead.

In this advert, we are led to aspire to be the woman who is portrayed almost as a superhero, preventing a nasty bank robbery whilst being someone who sees Drafty as an obvious choice without any negative consequences. Regularly now we have seen light-heartedness and sometimes humour used to sell payday loans, seeing this kind of transaction as a simple way to avoid going into your overdraft, rather than the reality of the consumer possibly needing to seek financial advice and support.

*Example of repayment for Drafty

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 89.7%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £1,277.29
Difference: £277.29

Loans 2 Go TV Advert

Airing in 2013, this humorous advertisement shows a man desperate for money selling this prize possession, his car, in order to raise money. Moments later we are met with a man in full traditional Austrian attire, and then three women also in traditional Austrian dresses surrounding the man who needs the loan, skipping and dancing to a song sung by the Austrian man including lines such as “you still get to keep your car!”.

Again, we are met with another quick loan advert which is using humour as a way to grab attention and take away from the seriousness of the man’s desperate situation. Arguably this advert is also suggesting that using Loans 2 Go will bring you attention from women, as they hold hands with him and use body contact with the man often in this short advertisement. Whilst nearly 10 years old, these methods are no longer appropriate and it’s surprising that it passed checks to air.

Eventually, the ASA banned this particular advert in early 2014, for “trivialising the risk of borrowing cash”.

*Example of repayment for Loans 2 Go

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 356.3%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £2,255.49
Difference: £1,255.49

Payday First UK TV Advert

In this Payday First advert, we’re met with multiple scenarios where a person might need a loan; DIY, a broken washing machine, needing new school clothes, and needing to buy something expensive such as a guitar. All actors in these scenes state “I’m first” whilst appearing to have all of their situations under control.

This advertisement was first aired in 2013, and is full of gender stereotypes you would not see in today’s advertising. The female actresses are seen cleaning and looking after children, whilst the men are seen moving heavy objects, doing DIY and playing in bands. This advert again portrays a loan as a simple transaction you can use sparingly, I’m sure a young adult buying a guitar is not an emergency purchase, yet here it is shown as an easy way to get your hands on an expensive guitar when you simply cannot afford it.

*Example of repayment for Payday First

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 4414%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £22,072.11
Difference: £21,072.11

Quick Quid TV Advert

In an advert that seemed to once appear in every television ad break, the Quick Quid advertisement shows a family leaving the house off to work and school (if you watch closely the father character has left the house with a mug of coffee – strange). As the mother is leaving the house, the son alerts her to the fact the boiler isn’t working, and he needs a shower. At this point everyone except for the mother freezes in time, and we’re met with the mother’s internal thoughts that she can’t afford to fix the boiler until payday. In a lightbulb moment, she quickly turns to Quick Quid on her phone for a loan, and moments later time restarts.

In this advert we’re expected to relate to the busy mother, undergoing regular stressful situations and trying to hold everything together knowing they’re in financial trouble. Quick Quid is seen as a way to help move things along and is portrayed to be as quick and simple as sending a text.

Perhaps if QuickQuid took a little longer to make sure their customers were able to pay back their loans, they wouldn’t have needed to file for administration in October 2019, after high volumes of consumers filed compensation claims for being missold.

*Example of repayment for Quick Quid

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 1270%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £6,434.61
Difference: £5,434.61

Funding Circle UK – Lending Hands Advert

In this slightly terrifying advert, a young man enters the office with his hands up his sleeve, racing to the bathroom in the hope he won’t be seen. He then takes his hands out of his sleeves and we see his hands and arms are purple and furry. At this point, his coworker runs in, only to reassure him that it’s because the business has Funding Circle, a lending hand or alternatively known as a business loan.

With this company selling business loans, rather than quick loans for an individual, it seems more appropriate to use humour to attract attention in what is a memorable advert.

Sunny TV Advert

Nicely matched up with Sunny by Bobby Hebb playing in the background, The Sunny loans TV adverts feature a laid-back character handling what should be stressful situations with ease. I the first advert, we see he’s been in a situation where his vehicle and consequential pickup vehicles have all broken down, but instead of breaking down himself, pulling all of these vehicles with roller skates and a rope. In the second advert, a couple are experiencing their caravan being poked and prodded by an aggressive bear, but we see the same character as the previous ad approaching the caravan and simply shooing the bear away.

The interpreted message from these adverts is that no matter what financial or other challenge you may experience, Sunny portrays the relaxing helping hand that can see you through your troubles. Again, however, in a similar story to an alarmingly high number of companies on our list, Sunny went into administration in 2020.

*Example of repayment for Sunny

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 1277%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £6,434.61
Difference: £6,468.63

Satsuma Loans TV Advert

In another humorous advert filled with juicy puns, the Satsuma loans advert uses a sing Satsuma to advertise, with the fruit singing “Alone” by Heart.

How do I get you a-loan – get it?

By using powerful music that you can sing along to, these songs are likely to stay in people’s heads, a great way to keep the business name in mind if they happen to need a loan. It’s good that the advert hasn’t claimed to be a magic fix to all of life’s problems, but with an APR of 793.8%, Satsuma is again another loan company that got into some trouble for misselling loans and was shut down in late 2021.

*Example of repayment for Satsuma Loans

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 793.8%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £4,167.07
Difference: £3,167.07

Everyday Loans TV Advert

In this more toned-down payday loans advert, multiple actors talk through the different benefits of using everyday loans, including being flexible, friendly, approachable and offering a conditional offer on a loan within minutes.

This advert doesn’t use gimmicks, humour or distraction to advertise their loans, instead, this advert seems to emanate that this is an important decision and needs to be taken seriously. Everyday Loans is one of the few businesses on this list that is still operating, which could be reflected in the way they’ve approached its advertising strategy.

*Example of repayment for Everyday Loans

Amount Borrowed: £1000
APR: 93.6%
No. of months to repay: 6
Total Repayable Amount: £1,290.03
Difference: £290.03

*Please note – all examples of repayment are based on the APR presented within the advert, using a standard loan repayment calculator. Actual repayment costs may vary.