E*trade's Bank Robbery Ad Too Subtle

E*trade joined the ranks of advertisers who choose to identify themselves only in the last few seconds with their 'Bank Robbery' ad. They did keep their advertising a little more on-topic than some, but their ad still may not be as effective as it could.

E*trade's ad begins in a crowed bank. A man stands up and announces that he is the bank manager and that this is a robbery. All the employees straight through to the security guard pull down animal masks to cover their faces.

The customers look highly confused, of course. The bank manager continues to insist that this is a robbery and that the customers should get down on the floor and hand over their cash. They do, eventually, get over their confusion enough to comply.

E*trade wants consumers to know that there is an alternative to investing with their banks. Their message is that banks may be robbing their customers. The implication, of course, is that consumers can make more, and keep more, by investing with E*trade.

The commercial was definitely different, so it earns points for originality. It was, unfortunately, a bit complex and may leave viewers as confused as the bank customers. It was also kind of funny, once I got the point of it. I admit that I don't always "get" jokes right from the start, but I had to ponder this commercial for a few minutes to see where it was going.

Is that the best tactic for a commercial, particularly one set to air during the Super Bowl? No, it probably isn't.

E*trade's commercial puts too much of the burden on the viewers. Commercials are already a nuisance, an interruption. Viewers are not likely to want to make the effort to think about this commercial and what it may be trying to imply.

During the Super Bowl, there is so much going on that demand for attention is very high. That makes it an especially poor time to try to get viewers to concentrate on a commercial with deeper meaning.

The only upside here, in terms of advertising, is that those people who did try to figure it out were likely still watching when E*trade finally took credit for the ad.