An inescapable series of commercials in the late 2000’s, it’s been almost 20 years since the original freecreditreport.com ads hit the airwaves in the U.S.
The cultural phenomena of the late 2000’s are always fun to look back on – rhythm games and cell phones with sliding keyboards served as distractions to the ongoing Great Recession, with skyrocketing unemployment rates reaching a fever pitch following the stock market crash in September 2008.
With hordes of Americans financially struggling in a way that was unforeseen just a few years prior, Experian jumped on the opportunity to exploit those scuffling with finances with an ad campaign that is perhaps indicative of the era more than the start of the retail apocalypse could ever be.
That’s where the iconic commercials for freecreditreport.com come in, which initially made its way into living rooms in October 2007 before becoming a staple of American TV for the following three years.
The ad campaign enlisted Canadian singer Eric Violette to play a variety of roles in the commercials, all revolving around a young man grappling with the consequences of having a poor credit score, lamenting that he could have prevented it all had he checked his credit score on freecreditreport.com.
The campaign ultimately produced nine different commercials, ranging in setting from renaissance fairs and roller coaster rides to exotic parties and a country bar in Reno. In 2009, Olivette spoke with the Washington Post about the character he portrays in the commercials (via dubbing, owing to Olivette’s French-Canadian accent), mentioning that his limitless dreams are often brought back to reality by poor finances.
“He’s a guy who has a lot of dreams and hopes. But he’s not able to make them concrete because I think he’s a little bit lazy. He’s the kind of guy who always has bad luck . . . but I’m sure he has a good heart,” Olivette said to WaPo.
For young millennials who grew up alongside the commercials such as myself, they invoke a strange mix of humor and nostalgia, serving as a facade for the backdrop of deep financial struggles that a 12-year-old could never fully conceptualize.
I thought it would be fun to revisit the nine ads and the different era they represented, looking back on which commercials still pop in my head today – which is perhaps a subconscious escape from the constant stream of gambling, AI and prediction market ads that pollute the airwaves today.
9. Roller coaster
The most forgettable of the bunch, this shows the main character catch a front seat ride on what appears to be Goliath at La Ronde, a Six Flags-owned amusement park in Montreal, as viewers are lectured on the debt-credit relationship.
As much as I love the shoutout to what looks like an incredible B&M coaster I’ve yet to ride, this jingle doesn’t have the catchiness or witty lyrics that some of its counterparts did that made them memorable.
With that said, the “wannabe frat boy” line with clothes that are extremely representative of the late 2000’s serves as a nice highlight.
8. New cell phone
The eighth of the nine original ads, this commercial shows the face of the brand looking to cash in on his fame as the freecreditreport.com singer by picking up a new phone and hearing his songs as a ringtone.
The only problem? His credit still sucks, and he leaves the store with a massive mobile phone that looks like it was straight out of the H.W. Bush administration.
Singing over pop-punk/emo inspired instrumentation, this jingle is a bit catchier than the roller coaster ad, but still falls flat in terms of a funny one-liner or relatable scenario that would have made this a more memorable ad.
7. Bicycle ride
The catchiest jingle of the bunch so far, this ad includes a few Easter eggs that the aforementioned commercials didn’t, with a reference to a past ad helping to bring a level of continuity towards the frivolous ad campaign.
Olivette’s character mentions that even though he traded in the subcompact car he purchased in a previous ad, his credit struggles still impact what kind of bicycle he can get as he looks to travel in a more eco-friendly manner.
The jingle undoubtedly grows to be annoying rather quick, not having anywhere near the earworm power that the initial commercials had while also lacking on other funny elements that its predecessors maintained.
6. Country bar in Reno
The ninth and final installment to the original set of freecreditreport.com commercials, this ad differs from all of its predecessors in that the website’s name does not feature at all in the jingle, which depicts Olivette’s character and his entourage describing their current life.
Still struggling with poor credit, Olivette’s character decides to embark on a journey out west, driven by the allure of mountain sunsets and snow-capped hills – but is instead met with the reality their finances bring to them, resigning them to the fate of performing at a small bar in Reno while renting by the week.
Though nowhere near as catchy as some of its counterparts, this ad is hilarious. As someone who is now less than a three-hour drive away from Reno, the thought of renting by the week there and playing at a dingy country bar is a rather hysterical and random scenario, and one that feels on-brand based on my limited time spent in the city.
5. Renaissance fair
The fourth of the nine installments, this ad wastes no time as it begins, sending viewers into a pop-punk inspired bassline and drum groove while Olivette’s character talks about his frustrations dealing with poor credit that limit what he can do and where he can have fun.
At this point, the face of the brand admits that he just moved to a place where poor credit didn’t matter, learning afterwards that he had in fact relocated to a renaissance fair.
This commercial is a catchy, beautiful mess, with music that doesn’t really match the theme depicted while including references to past commercials and a fitting cameo from an older woman who repeatedly expresses her displeasure for Olivette’s character and his band.
Ultimately, the commercial aims to serve as a cautionary tale. If you are one that is not long for renaissance fairs, it’s best to keep track of your credit.
4. Rockstar party
My sleeper favorite of the nine ads, this commercial opens leaving the viewer thinking that maybe, just maybe, Olivette’s character and the rest of the gang finally got it all together.
A jam-packed pool party at a mansion, champagne and caviar with limousines and other exotic cars parked in the driveway. The only problem? Olivette’s character is merely working at the party, reminding the audience that his credit remains poor – this time due to a case of identity theft.
The classic bait-and-switch closes with the typical reminders of what freecreditreport.com offers, as champagne glasses are served while the brand’s main character mentions that he’s finding out how bad reality hurts.
Though not the catchiest of the bunch, the curveball thrown in this commercial serves as a great fit alongside the slightly different subject matter, reviving the identity theft scenario explored in the brand’s first commercial while reminding viewers that it can hurt just as much as having poor credit on your own.
3. Pirate restaurant
The classic commercial that introduced millions to the freecreditreport.com brand, the band begins their journey playing in a pirate-themed restaurant, with Olivette’s character attributing their struggles to a hacker stealing his identity.
The mid-tempo country song immediately brings viewers in with its catchiness and story-telling, wasting no time in at least making the viewer wonder what the hell they’re talking about. It is true that one should always dress for the job they want, which likely made a few at home wonder what would have to happen to lead to them dressing up like a pirate in a Cracker Barrel-adjacent establishment.
Perhaps the most recognizable jingle of the whole campaign, this catchy ad covers all of the bases – telling a quick story while providing a cautionary tale on what could happen if one isn’t protective of their identity.
2. Dream girl
A relatable tale that likely was reality for at least a good handful of this commercial’s viewers, this ad reminds us all what can happen if we are blindsided by our romantic partner’s poor credit.
The setting tells the picture perfectly, showing Olivette’s band stationed across a cramped basement that includes the group’s drummer set up in the bathroom while the main character’s wife walks around frustrated at the reality that is living in their parents’ basement.
Olivette’s character uses the jingle to express a little bit of buyer’s remorse on the marriage, mentioning that while he initially envisioned a home in a quaint suburb, he is instead sentenced to life with the in-laws.
Staying true to the cautionary tale theme of many of the ads, Olivette’s character reminds viewers that he would be a single man with a dog and a yard if he could have a do-over, offering a bit of a sobering undertone beneath the light-hearted ad and jingle.
1. New car
The magnum opus of the series, this ad is everything that these goofy commercials were all about – an easygoing, incredibly catchy jingle showcasing the relatable struggles that Americans with poor credit were weathering.
Set up in a cramped subcompact that almost looks like the incredibly ugly Geo Prizm hatchbacks that graced American streets in the mid-to-late 1990’s – which also happened to serve as the best option available for Olivette’s crew, whose bad credit kept them from the shiny convertible or SUV they were perhaps imagining.
The sing-along pop-rap jingle spells out the website’s name with Olivette’s character referencing his laziness as a contributing factor behind him not checking his credit score before looking for a new car.
The band is then subject to a good dose of embarrassment, pulling up to a pair of young women in a much better car who proceed to laugh at Olivette’s posse while his legs are “sticking to the vinyl.”
Balancing a mix of humor, relatability and embarrassment, this ad is the perfect example of why these commercials remain deeply engrained into the minds of many millennials – always providing for a fun trip down memory lane.
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