Ameriprise Financial, which provides banking, insurance, and investment services, has a new tv advertisement running that features actor Tommy Lee Jones praising the bank for “never taking a bailout” from the federal government.
“Since Ameriprise Financial was founded back in 1894, they’ve been committed to putting clients first,” Jones says while leaning over a picket fence, “helping generations through tough times [and] good times – never taking a bailout. There when you need them.”
Ameriprise isn’t the only company to capitalize on anti-bailout sentiment. Ford Motor Company recently ran an ad that showed a car buyer criticizing the auto company bailouts given to Chrysler and General Motors, but the company has pulled the ad. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said that he is “deeply concerned about undue political pressure exerted by the White House,” although Ford denied White House pressure.
“Consumers remain cautious, but they’re also looking for something to believe in,” said an Ameriprise spokeswoman explaining the marketing strategy, “someone to tell them it is okay to be optimistic and pursue their dreams, despite what the markets and news headlines tell us.”
You know President Obama has lost the magic if a major American bank thinks it can criticize government bailouts in order to sell “something” – change? – “to believe in.”
Watch the ad below, if you like.
