A clever act, E-trade’s new TV ad, to depict their customers under magnification as countless sperm, seen in closeup as computer mice struggling here and there to find their way. Where do sperm head? As far as eggheads are concerned probably toward the ceiling and kleenex, but I think E-trade means to suggest that sperm are looking for fulfillment, sound financial investment, wealth, the egg.
Computer mice as sperm. “It’s in our DNA” says E-trade. How clever. But then E-trade shows its logo, two arrows that form an asterix. A computer mouse hits it like it’s the egg and bounces off!
Well isn’t that truth in advertising! There’s the little customer, their human struggle exemplified by a cute little two-button mouse. It zeros in on E-trade, the point of the ad I’m sure, and the little investor sperm can’t penetrate the egg.
E-trade will take you money, but you’re certainly not getting any of theirs. They don’t want your DNA.
E-trade has a brilliant advertising team. Their commercials are hilarious. Go to YouTube and check out the one about the kid who is so talented in basketball that he’s going to turn pro right after high school.
To me, there is nothing better than an edgy funny group of brilliant individuals that don’t really care whether we get the joke or not. They’ve gotten our attention at least, which is probably the goal. So much of what we see these days is dumbed down so Joe Average can comprehend what he’s seeing. That diminishes our world enormously.
I’m not totally sure I understand this new E-trade commercial exactly. For no mouse (sperm), save one, to be able to penetrate the egg is biologically accurate, but I’m not sure what that is supposed to mean to us, the investors. Maybe that we can’t get the nest egg without E-trade’s help? I really don’t know.
But no matter, I’d love to be in the room when these guys came up with the idea. I imagine it was funny beyond belief.