By Matt Vella
The faux PSA is a well-worn advertising trope. Now, many advertisers are using it to take aim at the glut of technology in most consumers’ lives. Take this new ad for FirstBank. The spot, created by agency TDA_Boulder, paints a vaguely dark scene from the not too distant future. An entire family is totally distracted from their dinner because they’re all wearing futuristic headsets not dissimilar from Google Glass. (They don’t look as nice.) Pop-up ads, selfies, and games turn the normally Norman Rockwell-esque scenario into a comedy of spasms. The tagline is “get back to the real world”—which in this case consists of a banking app that is apparently pretty easy to use.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com