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Glenn McComas

ENGL 1200-65

M. Tetterton

08 February 2010

Project One

Shedding Light

The following analysis of televised Etrade baby commercials will illustrate the use of

rhetorical strategies and the effective communication of its message both with visual literacy and

text encouraging purchasing stock with Etrade. The creators are effectively trying to take

advantage of the majority of American peoples state of mind, because many believe it is the fault

of the “fat cat” stock brokers on Wall street that led our country into this recession, soon to be

depression. As a discount stock brokerage firm, Etrade has developed a series of television

commercials featuring a baby or babies to effectively relay its message – buy stock through

Etrade. Grey New York was selected as Etrade’s advertising agency in November of 2007 (“E-

Trade baby outtakes”). This innovative agency debuted the “Talking Baby” campaign during

Super Bowl XLII in February of 2008 (“E-Trade baby outtakes”). Well-known for its “Priceless”

Ad for MasterCard and the “Got Milk” campaign, Grey focused on strengthening Etrade’s brand

name on television, in print, and on-line with You Tube, Facebook, and Twitter (“E-Trade baby

outtakes”). As society has become more focused on instant gratification, these commercials

feature the newest technologies, i.e. cellphones, to convey convenience and speed. The use of

babies as a visual is effective as babies generally give you a warm, happy feeling, and

inadvertently represent truth and honesty. These visual images appeal to the emotions of the

audience and become effective in drawing in the audience. Etrade was very effective in its use of

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visual imagery. Such as the commercials being filmed in the baby’s room, which also gives the

viewer another outlook on how easy it is to operate Etrade online.

Each Etrade baby commercial to be referenced below contains a connection to the United

States economy and the ultimate goal of Etrade to have new or existing investors who will buy

stock. With this in mind, it is important to have a brief understanding of where the economy

stands and of the brokers and the stock market. Not since the Great Depression of the 1930’s has

the United States experienced such a decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the statistic

used to measure the economy. Gross domestic product is “everything produced by all the people

and all the companies in the United States (“New York Times”). Beginning in 2008, the United

States’ economy declined and produced an economic recession. This decline in GDP growth was

caused by a “slowdown in manufacturing orders, falling house prices and sales, and a drop-off in

business investments says The New York Times. Many still believe it was fore fronted by the

careless stock brokers making risky trades and investments with money that is not there own.

Individuals saw their 401K’s dramatically reduce, and their stocks take a mighty tumble. The

United States dove into a period of time where GPD growth slowed, businesses stopped

expanding, employment fell, unemployment rose, and housing prices declined. We were in a

recession. Since 2007, 30-40% of Americans have seen a decline in their 401K retirement

account, which consisted of various stocks and mutual funds. Etrade uses this statistic as

ammunition in there advertisements trying to lead to consumer to believe that they could be part

of the 60-70% of stock holders that did not lose out if you use their product.

Most Americans are not ignorant enough to believe that the irresponsible stock brokers

and bankers solely led us to this recession but are intelligent enough to realize that they

drastically sped up the process. This realization has caused individuals to look more closely at

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their investments and where and how they invest. Many buy and sell stocks more frequently as a

result of this downturn. As strange as it is, this has given stockbrokers an opportunity to better

educate the public and find ways to meet the consumer’s needs for the future. Such as getting a

better return percentage on your investments. As a result, attentive, expedited advertising has

become more and more important.

Today’s consumer requires accessible and speedy services. In addressing the investor’s

needs, there are many on-line stock-trading sites to choose from which offer a wide range of

tools, research, and services. Etrade, a discount brokerage firm, uses the commercial media of

television as a way to connect with investors, present to future. In order to buy shares of stock,

you need a stockbroker (broker), who acts as the salesman, to help you with the transaction

(“Wikipedia”). He is the link between the investor and the stock exchange and carries out the

transaction. There are full service and discount brokers. Full service brokers advise an investor

about making the investment decision and offer a variety of services, usually with a higher fee.

Their full service brokers are paid a commission from each transaction. Discount brokers such as

Etrade, on the other hand, do not offer advice (“New York Times”). They are usually not paid

commissions but instead receive a fixed salary to perform the stock trades. They generally

perform the stock trades with a lower fee. Nearly all brokers offer online trading features,

allowing the investor to place trades 24 hours a day, often by phone.

Analysis of Etrade baby commercials reveals that the rhetorical strategies of pathos are

demonstrated. If one cannot understand the message through the creative commercial itself, then

Etrade ensures that a trailing verbal text is included as reinforcement. The main message of every

text is that Etrade is there for each investor’s needs. Each E-trade baby commercial establishes a

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humorous dialogue with a baby or babies talking with an adult voice, discussing topics with

language to draw in the audience and maintain his interest. For purposes of this analysis, three

commercials will be featured.

The first analysis will be focused on the commercial referred to as Etrade Funny Baby.

There are five babies next to each other in a baby’s room with crib and baby furniture. The main

character, Baby Ernie, says, as if he is answering someone, “Oh, what did I think about the

economy in 2008.” He responds by throwing up his milk. This humorous response, through the

visual image of Baby Ernie throwing up has an effect on its viewers and immediately sends the

message that the economy is doing so poorly that it makes you sick. The United States economy

is supposed to be strong. It has always been the American belief that we are a strong nation.

Something is wrong. Baby Ernie tells the other babies “Bennie still pays for a big, expensive

broker.” Some say “ok,” and then Bennie says, “He’s a friend of my father’s though.” “A friend

of your father’s?” Next you see and hear great laughter from the rest of the babies. The text and

words match the movement of the babies’ mouths. Their faces have expressions to match their

thoughts. The humor displayed in the commercial is great. People always think they are doing

something better than the other guy. Even the question of loyalty to a friend is laughed upon, as

an alternate option, Trade, is less costly. Expensive brokers are “old” school and too expensive

when there is another quality option available, Etrade. The commercial ends with a message

from an announcer, “Take control with one of the most powerful investing machines there is,

Etrade (“E-Trade baby outtakes”). This is the final line in every Etrade commercial daring the

viewers to take control of there money, investments, and stocks, it is there catch phrase. Whether

the commercial is humorous or just purely informative every commercial closes out with this

phrase.

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The second commercial scene focused on the Etrade Singing Baby. The setting was a

baby’s room with two babies sitting in high chairs. The main character Baby Ernie states, “the

economy has been a little rough, man.” The second baby says, “ah man, yes, just brutal.” Baby

Ernie responds by saying “its times like these that Etrade can really help you plan your

investments. It gives you the tools and research to take control and rise up.” Immediately the

second baby begins to sing, “Take these broken wings.” Baby Ernie says, “dude, no, no, no-no-

no.” The singing baby asks “What, I can’t flex the golden pipes?” Baby Ernie states, “It’s not the

venue.” The second baby states that “It’s inspirational” and Ernie says “Please”. Baby Ernie

sighs and asks where he was. The second baby starts singing again, “learn to fly again”. There is

a pause, and the Etrade announcer says, “Take control of one of the most powerful investments

machines there is. Join the 1,000 new accounts a day at Etrade.” The dialogue between the two

babies with adult voices discussing investments during a rough economy is humorous and

appeals to its audience. It also reflects everyday life as it illustrates that one baby is really into

something and the other baby is taking a lighter outlook, singing. When a viewer hears that the

“economy has been a little rough”, it reminds him, and instinctively he wants to do better. The

American culture has always wanted to do better. Do better with Etrade is inferred. The

humorous nature of the commercial helps to lighten the thought of a rough economy, while it

still sends a message to do something, “take control” of your investments as is stated in the

ending announcer’s message (“E-Trade baby outtakes”). Take control by not paying someone

else such as a stock broker to spend your money for you, on stocks they believe will have the

best turn around.

The third commercial scene focuses on the commercial known as the Newest Baby

Commercial. Baby Ernie is sitting alone in his high chair in this bedroom holding his Blackberry

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cell phone. “I can go anywhere I want now and trade.” “Etrade Mobile Pro. Right Blackberry” as

he looks content, he gets an e-mail.

Baby Ernie responds, “Ah, bad girl, man”. Pause. “Anyway, you know I can get

streaming quotes.” The phone starts to ring and interrupts.

Baby Ernie says, “God, relentless”, and asks the viewers to “hold on a second”. He then

says, “Hey girl, can I hit you back?”

The commercial ends with the announcer saying, “Etrade Mobile Pro- trade stocks get

streaming quotes, anytime, anywhere. There are 1,000 new accounts a day at Etrade.” This

particular commercial introduces a modern technological device, the cell phone. An investor can

use a cell phone to make a stock purchase or sell with the convenience of Etrade’s Mobile Pro at

any time and at any place, emphasizing the convenience factor. The hip language of the text

makes it easier for young people to connect with the message, “can I hit you back”, and it

reinforces its humor (E-Trade baby outtakes”).

Rhetorical strategies are crucial when analyzing Etrade baby commercials. These

commercials appealed to the emotions of the audience by way of humorous, visual images and

imaginative language as a baby or babies spoke like adults and discussed topics of adult interest.

Etrade effectively communicated its desire to be available to each investor and his or her need to

purchase stock efficiently and timely as it featured television commercials designed to captivate

an audience and entertain through visual literacy and an appeal to one’s emotion through visual

imagery. By producing a series of their humorous Etrade baby commercials, the concept that

Etrade is there for any age investor is reinforced. The text was well written as it related to events

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and trends of the contemporary world. Grey New York successfully developed a strong

advertising campaign geared toward strengthening Etrade’s brand name (“E-Trade baby

outtakes”). With visual literacy and text, Etrade left behind the “old” ways of business and

embraced the birth of new, contemporary technology in its effort to attract and maintain

investors.

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Works Cited

“Economy.” Wikipedia. 01 Nov 2009. Web. 2 Nov 2009.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy>.

“E-Trade Baby Outtakes.” E-Trade. Web. 2 Nov 2009.

<http://us.etrade.com/e/t/jumppage/viewjumppage?PageName=etrade_super_tv_ads>.

“What exactly is the U.s. economy? ” New York Times 2009: 1. Web. 2 Nov 2009.

<http://useconomy.about.com/od/grossdomesticproduct/p/GDP.htm>.