ETrade Baby Quits - H 2014
E*Trade is saying “bye, bye” to its talking baby.
The spokeschild that starred in the online brokerage’s ads since 2008 dramatically quits in the 30-second spot, which debuted Thursday during the opening games of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament, after being joined by his new sidekick, Beanie, a talking cat.
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After the cat repeats what the baby says in a sing-song voice and keeps singing various trading buzzwords, the kid grows increasingly cranky and hurls his phone at the camera, saying “That’s it. I’m outta here.”
A title card with the website “Babyquits.com” directs viewers to E*Trade’s Facebook page, which features a resignation letter from the baby.
The campaign’s end was somewhat inevitable, given that the brokerage recently switched ad agencies, as AdWeek reported.
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“The baby was a wonderful iconic expression of what we were,” E*Trade’s chief marketing officer Liza Landsman told Reuters. “But we want something that better reflects our present and where we are going.”
Landsman added that a new online-centric marketing campaign will be launched in the next few weeks. Although she wouldn’t reveal specific details, she said it would be as iconic and “witty” as the baby ads, adding that the firm has a little more money to work with than they did last year.
Watch the baby’s final ad below.
