Clients in Conversation: Farber and TLC on Starting a Fresh and Empathetic Conversation Around Debt

Being in debt feels like getting caught in a trap. It’s barbed wire around every corner, a dark cloud following over you, and pins waiting to jab into you on a keypad. And yet so much advertising when it comes to debt solutions is about freedom and relief - the cathartic moment when it’s all over. But for people struggling with debt, that simply isn’t reality. So often, there’s a disconnect between the bland positivity of marketing and the heavy weight of problems mounting up for people in the real world. 

That’s a disconnect which Farber, the debt solutions experts based across Canada, are determined to fix. To do so, they enlisted the help of The Local Collective. Together, the brand and agency set about rewriting the rules of the category, settling on a new visual identity which meets people where they are rather than presenting a seemingly unrealistic ideal. The result was a series of distinctive ads which cut through the noise like a knife through butter. 

To reflect on how it all came together and where they may go next, Farber’s marketing and communications director Katherine Dimopoulos sat down with The Local Collective’s co-founder and chief creative officer Matt Litzinger… 

LBB> Katherine and Matt, why did you want to change perceptions around the category and communicate in a different way? 

Katherine> Post-COVID, many aspects of life have shifted dramatically - especially for Canadians in a debt crisis. At Farber, we understand that these individuals often feel lost, unsure of their options and overwhelmed by the noise in the marketplace from brands offering similar solutions. 

With over 43 years of experience, we’ve seen the emotional and financial toll debt takes, and that's why we prioritise connecting with people in a meaningful, authentic way.  By demonstrating our understanding in a ‘nontraditional’ approach to creative and messaging, we can break through the noise to get the attention of those that need debt help so they can take that critical first step towards a solution.

Matt> Being in debt is a horrible situation. Post COVID, Canadians have been faced with increasingly crippling debt. These people aren’t people that made “bad” decisions or were irresponsible, they are honest, hard-working Canadians that due to circumstances out of their control now have been paralyzed by their debt accumulation. 

A great organisation like Farber can help dramatically change Canadians’ lives through their programs. For me, we had to find a way to change this conversation and make memorable messaging that helped future customers know they are understood. 

LBB> So do you think there are any issues that come around from the way debt relief providers traditionally market and present themselves? 

Katherine> The industry often focuses on the end goal - being debt-free - and while that’s definitely what we want for our clients, people in debt are really concerned about what’s happening right now. They’re stressed about making minimum payments, dealing with tax bills, and dodging those collection calls. 

I truly believe that relevancy is everything. Great advertising meets people where they are, connecting with what they need in that moment and motivating them to take the next step. We need to provide that kind of message - one that resonates and drives action. Debt is tough, no doubt, and we never want to take it lightly. But we also want to offer hope by showing we understand and that real solutions are out there, giving people the confidence to make that critical decision.

Matt> It’s always been bizarre to me how we approach solutions-based advertising as an industry. We always tend to show such a complete solution. It’s like we traditionally advertise to a person with a solution that is so far in the person’s possible future. Imagine an ad targeting a person with a broken leg - traditionally our industry shows someone who has healed and is now high jumping! Meanwhile, the actual person with the broken leg is just wondering how to take a shower without getting their cast wet. The “solution” is so far into the person’s future, it’s not even relevant… so we didn’t want to do that. We wanted to show true empathy by illustrating that we understood how the customers felt right now, not focus solely on how they want to feel in the future.

LBB> How long was it before you settled on the right concept for these ads? Were the other ideas that you left on the table? 

Katherine> Working together for the first time, we totally took a page out of TLC's playbook - and it was such an awesome experience! It sparked so many great conversations (and debates... and more debates...). It’s amazing how much creativity comes from those healthy discussions, a true reflection of the strong partnership that’s grown between Farber and TLC. Did we leave anything on the table? Maybe, but nothing as solid as what we actually put into action. 

Matt> I think we did our usual approach. Lots of thinking and creation…more ideas, and more sharpening. There are always ideas left on the table, but hopefully not the right idea. In this case I think we went to market with a great approach! So, anything that didn’t make the cut…. probably shouldn’t have made it.

LBB> The imagery that you guys have used is so visually striking. Was it always important for you to have such a bold impact - and how do you feel it helps to differentiate Farber within its category? 

Katherine> Absolutely! This was key to grabbing our audience's attention and really standing out from the crowd. It sparked a ton of conversation, intrigue, and ultimately led to action. The boldness of both the visuals and the messaging was very intentional – it reinforced the Farber difference. It didn’t just show that we understand, but made it clear that we’re the brand offering the real ‘truth about debt.’

Matt> Ya, the images were 100% by design. We needed to break through in our category, while also creating something familiar but also odd. 

I’m a big fan of ‘odd’, because it usually lends itself to breakthrough work. I think in this case the oddness of the pin pad, mailbox and fridge door did exactly that, but in a relevant, insightful, and most importantly empathetic way.

LBB> Did you guys encounter any challenges throughout your work together, and how did you overcome them if so? 

Katherine> Well, Matt is quite mean. Just kidding!  We built a strong partnership from day one, which doesn’t always happen. We really fed off each other’s experience and respected different viewpoints, which always pushed us to an even better place than where we started. It’s worked so well that we’re already deep into our 2025 ad campaign with TLC!

Matt> I think we all know who the mean one is in the meetings…Katherine…. Just kidding, I feel like we had some great agency/client partner discussions throughout the process and between all our team members, but that’s what’s supposed to happen. There really wasn’t any moment of extreme challenge… at least from my perspective.

LBB> Finally, how are you looking to build on the work we've already seen - what might the next steps look like?

Katherine> We’re going to keep building on the great results we’ve seen and focus on evolving our 2024 campaign to really strengthen our story. The goal? Getting Canadians who need debt help to take notice and take action. It’s all about being bold, direct, relevant and understanding.

Matt> The campaign has had tremendous results, and we are continuing to build on our momentum. Hopefully our next wave of creative continues to motivate Canadians in need of assistance, so the great people at Farber can help. The new campaign might include an entirely new creative interpretation of the platform… but don’t tell anyone.