D'oh!

Have you seen the the WaMu ad with the bald customer who, excited at the 'free services' at Washington Mutual (WaMu), fantisizes about driving a sporty ragtop as his hair grows - then billows - in the open air?

It disturbs me on so many levels.

The brief CGI sequence where his follicles are seen growing out of his scalp gives me the willies, plus I'm not certain the point of trying to convince people that a large bank will excite them. Beside the fact that it is a totally unreasonable claim - I mean, its a bank, not a Disneyland e-ride. Why is that a critical brand message anyway, given the country's current financial meltdown? Credibility, stability, authority, yes. Excitement? That's the last thing I want from my bank.

Now, adding insult to stupidity, CNBC's Jane Wells reports they've co-opted Homer Simpson, the icon of American stupidity, by trademarking the term Whoo-hoo (spelled intentionally with the 'h' as to not to be conflict with Homer's trademark widely known 'Woo-hoo' - honestly, look it up on their website, "Whoo-hoo" with a 'TM') and posted it visibly on billboards in bright colors all over urban America.

I must've missed that episode... "Mmm, donuts" I remember, "Mmm, beer" I recall seeing several times, but the episode where Homer and Bart go to make a deposit and Homer groans, "Mmm...WaMu Free Checking™ account with one style of check for free. WaMu will not charge ATM fees for cash withdrawals, but non-refundable ATM operator fees may apply. Foreign currency exchange and transaction fees may apply to wires and card transactions. Other banks involved in wire transfer may also charge fees. If your account is open and in good standing on your anniversary date you’ll receive a $0.03 reward for each Debit MasterCard® purchase transaction made within the last year up to a $250 reward. Ask about other fees applicable to your account."

Nope, I missed that one. Right along with my confidence in WaMu.