Actor Alex Macqueen, known for The Thick of It, Rivals and The Inbetweeners, is the face of spoof TV advert created to spotlight the escalating global debt crisis ahead of the G20 summit.
The 90-second film, titled ‘Meet the World’s Loan Sharks’, has been produced by Richard Curtis’ Project Everyone initiative in partnership with Catholic aid agency CAFOD.
The spot mimics the look and feel of a typical daytime pay-day loan commercial, complete with garish graphics, grim lighting and Macqueen in an intentionally ill-fitting suit.
But instead of targeting cash-strapped consumers, the advert exposes how private banks and hedge funds offer high-interest loans to low-income countries already struggling with climate disasters, conflicts and dwindling public budgets.
Macqueen plays a fictional predatory lender who asks, “Are you a small country struggling with money?”, offering “incredible interest rates.” He also assures borrowers that if they are concerned about repayments, it’s “not a problem” because these countries can cut back on spending on other areas like hospitals and schools.
The script underscores how such lending practices can trap countries in a “never ending spiral of debt”, before ending with a knowingly cynical voiceover that directs viewers to unfairloans.com, noting that terms and conditions apply “unless you’re from a high-income country”, and warning that lenders will “sue you” if you can’t repay.
The advert will receive a special screening for MPs at the Houses of Parliament and will be distributed widely across NGO and influencer social channels in the coming days.
Hannah Cameron, campaign director at Project Everyone, said: “We wanted to find a simple way to tell the story of the global debt crisis and its human impact. With the help of Alex Macqueen’s dodgy loan shark character we did just that. I hope it leads to increased understanding and public support for new solutions.”