FastWeb makes FAFSA funny

A client is working on some financial aid materials, and he pointed me to this "Five-Minute FAFSA" video:



Regardless of your topic, it's hard to make a funny 5-minute video. It's almost impossible to make a funny 5-minute instructional video about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). But the folks at FastWeb gave it the old college try, and the result is fun enough to watch at least a couple of times.

My favorite moments:

• "INdeed!" at about 2:08
• "That old Social Security card. Thanks, FDR!" at about 2:51
• "I don't know what I am." "I can TELL!" at about 3:43

The key here is audience awareness: these actors sound like college students. They do a nice job of mocking the times when they play it straight, allowing them to play it straight when they need to. That makes the video instructive, but not pedantic.

FastWeb has taken an inherently dull topic and made it more fun than anyone would expect. It just goes to show that you don't have to be boring to be informative. But if you strive for JUST informative, you'll probably end up being kind of boring.