There was a time, when I was still a student, I witnessed one of the most baffling marketing campaigns ever approved. Picture this: a couple, sweet and earnest. The woman, desperate to get married, drops hint after hint. The man, meanwhile, looks utterly defeated — because, of course, he doesn’t have enough money.
Enter the bank, stage left, like a fairy godmother with a clipboard: “No worries! Here’s a loan! Get married now, pay us back later!”
I’m sorry, what?
Since when did the pinnacle of romance become “Congratulations on your new life together — also, here’s your debt sentence”?
The audacity. The almost theatrical absurdity.
Because here’s the thing: If you’re not ready financially to get married without shackling yourself to a creditor, perhaps, just perhaps, you’re not ready to get married. Perhaps — wild idea — you stay together, build your lives, strengthen your foundation, and throw a celebration later when you can afford to pop the champagne without a loan officer lurking nearby.
But no. Instead, they wrapped a debt trap in soft lighting and pastel filters and tried to sell it as “dreams coming true.”
It wasn’t just the creatives who slipped up. Someone high enough looked at that glitter-coated trap and thought, “Yes. This is the narrative we want associated with our brand.”
And perhaps that’s the saddest part.
Because no one should have to enter marriage with a weight tied to their ankles. Love deserves better than a repayment plan.
Sometimes I wonder who deserves more applause: the agency that dreamt it up, the marketing team that clapped it along, or the poor soul who signed it off. No winner. Only shared, glitter-coated regret.