Pocket Money Loans

Pocket Money Loans at Atom Gallery 2013

PAYDAY LOANS FOR KIDS!

Pocket Money Loans gives kids an advance on their pocket money at just 5000% interest.

New stores are opening all the time!

NATIONWIDE & INTERNATIONAL STORE OPENINGS:

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL: SHANGRI-LA (2016)

ROSKILDE FESTIVAL, DENMARK (2016)
NEWCASTLE (2016) [Photos coming soon]

NEXT STORE OPENING:

LONDON (MARCH 2017)

ATOM

ATOM GALLERY October/November 2014

BBC London News 1st November 2014

Atom Gallery was kind enough to offer me the space for Pocket Money Loans as the first exhibition in its newly acquired shop front. The unit had previously been occupied by a cheque cashing loan shop so came pre-fitted with all the hideous furnishings you'd expect and a faux-wood customer service counter. All that was needed was a few posters, some vinyl stickers, a shop sign and a bunch of other shit I forgot about until the last minute.

I launched the website a week or so in advance and the backlash started almost immediately. It was great that it was convincing enough for people to think it was real, but I did feel a bit guilty because the people reacting with anger were the good guys. Someone helpfully pointed out that the joke wasn't about the people who fell for it, rather that in the current climate, a payday loan shop for kids didn't actually seem that far-fetched.

PRESS

Simon Read: Payday loans that are marketed at kids? Why not? They're already brainwashed into wanting products.
The Independent

Store appears to offer payday loans to children

ITV News

Darren Cullen’s Pocket Money Loans For Kids Lampoons Vile Culture Of Payday Loans

Huffington Post

Payday loan firm for children turns out to be satirist's art stunt

Evening Standard

Satirical company offers kids Pocket Money Loans

The Scotsman

Pocket Money Loans, An Art Installation Offering Payday Loans to Children

Laughing Squid

Get Them While They’re Young: The Art of Darren Cullen
ANON Magazine

Payday loans 'service' aimed at children launches
MoneyWise

‘Wonga for kids’ comes to Finsbury Park with ‘Pocket Money Loans’ shop
Islington Gazette

Best exhibitions of 2015: a-n writers pick their top five shows - A-N

Close up debt poster

Close up payday poster

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MONEY SAVING EXPERT:

I was especially pleased to get Martin Lewis' backing as I'd thought his comments on payday loan companies 'grooming' young children through their advertisements were absolutely spot on.

MARKETING

With a little help from the fine, anonymous, and early-rising folks at Special Patrol Group, Pocket Money Loans got its own street-level advertising campaign at several sites around the capital.

If you're interested in how this type of thing is done you could do worse than pick yourself up a Ad-Space Hack pack from STRIKE! Magazine's online store.