I’m a little behind the curve here, but on Sunday I came across the newly-issued $20 bill for the first time.
Like others, I question the justification for the awareness campaign to promote it, which reportedly is costing $32 million. I don’t have a problem with the displays in banks and low cost informational materials of that ilk. But I think the more-expensive T.V. advertising is unnecessary. The new design isn’t that much different. Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you can probably figure out what’s going on.
Moreover, as Rob Walker adds, “[T]he bottom line is that pretty much anyone who wants to participate in buying or selling things is going to have a strong motivation for accepting the new $20 bill. That motivation is: You have no choice. Here, finally, is a product that truly sells itself.”