RaboDirect. Rabobank - the straight talking online bank.

RaboDirect sponsored a ground breaking experiment to see how Australians really react when presented with the ultimate financial fantasy - a money tree!

RaboDirect's mission is to wake up people's lazy money because over the last year Australians missed out on $4.7 Billion in interest on their savings by leaving it in accounts that pay little or no interest. This is what led the experiment. If people ignore money in their account they can't see, do they also ignore money they can see and touch? We secretly filmed people as they passed by a tree covered in $5 notes and asked a psychologist and financial decision-making expert to monitor and analyse responses.

The Experiment: An Overview of Responses

Lost Opportunity
In the early stages, almost 100 people passed the tree without noticing that anything was different.  Even when a group of joggers noticed, they were too busy to stop.  The first groups who eventually stopped to interact couldn’t believe it. They inspected the notes and took pictures, but left empty handed.

Follow the Crowd
Only once one brave participant started taking the money, did momentum gather. Legitimised by the crowd, a wide spectrum of behaviour ensued.

Frugality
Some took just one or two notes, satisfied by their modest and unexpected gains.

Opportunist
Consumed by the fantasy, a group of braver participants made the most of the opportunity by filling their pockets.

Employing Tools and Working Together
When the low hanging $5 notes were depleted, participants employed tools such as swinging coats and umbrellas, to help them reach higher branches.  Teamwork also came into play as spectators formed human pyramids to reach the notes seemingly out of reach.

Altruism
Perhaps the most comforting observation from the participants was that of altruism.  Taller participants shared their earnings with shorter spectators, while one gentleman on identifying the undercover observation team, requested his money be donated to charity.