Etrade, wtfo?

ETrade ran 3 or 4 Superbowl ads with their "trading babies." Granted, I do not 'get' much of the rationale behind marketing, but this is just stupid. Is there some magical quality of "trading babies" that ETrade thinks will earn them customers? Or is it just such a hideous ad campaign that they figure anyone talking about it (like I am) is deemed good publicity by their PR flacks?

At $3M per spot, that's a lot of cash to spend on brand recognition, and one as idiotic as that one, too. *shrug*

I just don't get it.

 

How about the ad for the US Census (part of a $340 million ad campaign )

 

Agreed. Those ads made no sense, and besides WTF does the government need to advertise the census? What next, will the IRS run spots asking us to pay our taxes?

 

The fact you are even discussing this on the forum tells me the ads served their purpose.

 

I worked for the Census for a few weeks on a temp assignment almost a year ago. A little PR campaign is kind of needed now. All the Democrats hate it because they think it’s a way to find illegal aliens. All of the stupid Republicans like yourself and everybody else on ET hate it because Obama is running it. Either way, it’s doomed.

But yea, in the end, the ads are probably pointless because I guess you can lead a horse to water but you can’t cure him of his stupidity.

 

Rick,

It makes perfect sense if you think about their target audience

(trading made so easy a baby could do it... or in this case John/Jane Q Public)

One interesting note (at least I thought so)… The babies (there are more than one in some commercials) hands are never allowed to touch a keyboard – I was told that would be illegal to show

RN

 

All the discount broker ads are kind of dumb. Ameritrade has the ones that imply it's a good thing that your automated triggers will still run even after you're dead. Scottrade has the vanity ads with the owner in his own helicopter. I guess the worst was the Discovery Brokerage ad with the truck driver who was successful enough at daytrading that he owned an island.

 

DOn't you get it? they are making FUN of you! it's all a big joke with YOU as the jester.

painfully obvious--take a look at the ad above for zoozoo--- wtf is that logo? some kind of bug sticking its tongue out at you, with the letter U highlighted below it.