I’m not a big fan of Kaplan. I think the test prep people make a lot of money by stirring up fear about an unnecessary test (the SAT). And though I think online courses are great, I’ve heard enough sad tales about Kaplan University that I would be cautious about recommending it, despite its legions of satisfied students.
But man, I love this ad. I give props to Ogilvy & Mather for understanding what adult students need to hear, and for putting together a compelling ad that really captures both the frustrations and the possibilities of adult students intent upon learning skills for a 21st century global economy.
My suggestion: absorb the message and find your own best combination of education options to develop YOUR talents.
Great Kaplan Ad–Take the Message and Run With It
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I totally agree with your thoughts on this, Maya. It’s a great message. Just wish it wasn’t connected to Kaplan, who, like you mention, has their fingers deep into the testing-as-source-of-profit pie—-especially, when that testing does not help predict college success. (If I’m remembering this correctly, I got that last bit from your book, which by the way, I thought was excellent.)
I’ll be blogging about your new book shortly.
Cheers, Bill
fyi, Kaplan University is also running online ads as part of this campaign. While not as compelling as the TV spots, they are nonetheless worth checking out:
http://adverlicio.us/kaplan_university_obsolete_300×250
http://adverlicio.us/kaplan_university_who_says_300×250