1/21/2009
The Lighter Side of Banking?
Is there a lighter side to banking these days? In this cartoon, I was trying to find it, but if I were a bank, I wouldn’t be using humor in my advertising just now.
Actually I’ve never been a fan of humor in financial institution advertising. Remember those WaMu TV spots with the fuddy duddy band of bankers? Or the Capital One “What’s in Your Wallet?” campaign? Trivializing personal finance, portraying a loan as a lark or a walk in the park … that’s the wrong message.
Where do you see humor used inappropriately in advertisements and marketing?
2 Responses to The Lighter Side of Banking?
Brad, I bet the banks are wishing now they’d taken more care with their adverts.
One that used to really bug me was by RBS – suggesting that customers were sheep. Or maybe all customers who didn’t bank with them were sheep. I found that pretty insulting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cptMuVPn4Q
Now look at them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7836882.stm
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Quotes on Writing and Audacity
Joanna, My feeling is the banking community typically doesn’t have good humor instincts. Insulting customers worked for Rodney Dangerfield, but his brand of humor won’t work for companies. But banks are not the only offenders. How about those V8 commercials where people slap themselves on the forehead because they’re too stupid to drink V8?
Brad Shorrs last blog post..The Lighter Side of Banking?