Charles Schwab's ad campaign from BBDO featuring pro
athletes "weaves the stars so seamlessly into the Schwab
story that the target audience is likely to remember" the
association with Schwab, according to USA TODAY's Greg
Farrell. The ads "didn't perform too well" against the
"mass audience" in USA TODAY's Ad Track, as "only" 20% of
viewers liked them "a lot," compared to the average of 22%.
But 37% of the "most affluent viewers, those with a net
income above $75,000, liked the spots a lot." Schwab head
of advertising and brand management Leo Short "praised" BBDO
for creating ads for a "well-defined media schedule," which
includes runs during NFL games. Farrell writes that with
NFL QBs as spokespeople, "look for Schwab" to air ads on
ABC's Super Bowl XXXIV pregame show, as well as "in the
break between coin toss and kickoff" (USA TODAY, 11/15).
DIKEMBE DOESN'T LIKE SCHWAB'S VOICE-OVER: In Denver,
Dave Krieger reported that the "one problem" with the Schwab
ad featuring Hawks C Dikembe Mutombo is that the voice used
in the spot is not Mutombo's -- the "accent sounds African,
but not from the Congo," where Mutombo was born. Mutombo:
"They just took my voice off. I was mad. ... I turn on the
World Series, and I go, 'Oh my God, what's going on here?' I
heard some Nigerian guy talking." Mutombo said while he was
paid "good money," he is "not going to do another commercial
for" Schwab. Krieger: "It's true that Mutombo's English is
difficult to understand. But putting someone else's voice
in his mouth?" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 11/14).
