Baby
E*Trade2008
Baby is a 2008 30-second television commercial for E*Trade, created by Grey, New York.
The line
If I can do it, you can do it.
Why it works
A baby at a computer keyboard, speaking in an adult man's voice, brushes off the idea that he is too young to invest. One click later: “You just saw me buy stock.” Then he spits up. Created by Grey New York and directed by Randy Krallman, the spot aired during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. Grey's chief creative officer, Tor Myhren, admitted he could not tell whether the talking baby was genius or the dumbest thing the agency had ever made. It is studied as a lesson in dramatizing ease: if an infant can trade online, so can anyone. TiVo reported it was the most-watched ad of the game among its users, and E*Trade opened more new accounts the next day than on any previous day in its history. The original spot won a One Show Bronze Pencil, and the baby ran for six years until Grey resigned the account in 2013; USA Today credited it with swapping cuddly ad babies for cantankerous ones.
Techniques
- Humour An infant speaking in a grown man's voice buys stock with one click and then spits up, making online trading look absurdly easy.
- Mascots and characters The talking baby becomes the brand's recurring character, carrying its advertising for six years.
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