The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has commissioned an advert linked to the subject matter of the new film Dumb Money.
The movie tells the story of the GameStop stock-trading episode, in early 2021, where tips on web forums led to small-scale investors buying huge volumes of shares and losing substantial amounts of money.
The regulator said it had created the advert to help consumers understand the impact that hype can have on investment decisions and to encourage them to carry out careful research if tempted by an opportunity they find online.
The advert is part of the watchdog’s ‘InvestSmart’ campaign, which encourages consumers to make better-informed investing decisions that suit their financial circumstances and attitude to risk.
Emma Stranack, head of content and channels at the FCA, said: “The GameStop episode is a classic example of speculative investment driven by hype, and many investors suffered painful losses at the time.
“This new film gives us the perfect opportunity to encourage less experienced investors to understand the risks, avoid hype and do the necessary research before they invest. This is the first time we’ve created a cinema advert tied in with a specific film.
“The subject matter is directly aligned to our target audience’s interests and the cinema provides a unique environment to capture their attention.”
