As advertized, the NBG will be donating 0,50 euro to the Centre for Children's Special Care of the Naval Hospital for every post made on the social media which includes the above hashtag. Given that the Greek social media have been flooded with tens of thousands of such posts, it is expected that the Bank will have to offer a sizeable donation for a good cause.

This impression changes once one takes a good look at the terms governing the whole campaign. In it, NBG states clearly that “the action will become complete once the total of posts in the virtual digital mosaic of social offering has reached 10.000 posts”. This means that the maximum amount of money that the bank will donate to the Centre will be 5,000 euro. The heads of the bank must have thought that charity (free, highly advertised charity at that) is good but one shouldn't not get carried away with it.

In fact, not even that amount is secure. In another part of the small print it is stated that “the final amount of money that the Bank will donate to the above mentioned Organization as part of the Program is completely subject to the Bank's judgment.  As such, any participant in the Program, the Organism itself or/and any other third party have no claim towards the Bank for any amount of money”. It is thus clear that the financial obligation of the Bank towards the “i run marathon” campaign is completely optional!

What are the gains for the NGB? As it is obvious this is a huge advertising campaign, at virtually no cost or, to be more precise at the cost that the Bank will decide). If the Bank had sought to advertise through the media and the web to the extent that this campaign has achieved, the cost would have run to hundreds of thousands of euro whereas now it is virtually free. Beyond that, the official site of the campaign, bearing the sign of the National Bank of Greece, is constantly renewed with new people and faces who participate with the own will. This is the best kind of publicity for the “charitable” bank. In fact the participants submit their personal data “for the publicity needs of the campaign”.

It is now time for everyone to help an advertising campaign which offers almost negligible charity. While they run the NBG has already won the race.