For PaineWebber, Does Performance Count?

Advertiser: PaineWebber Inc.

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, New York

Challenge: Develop a distinct image for the financial services firm in what is becoming a commodity business.

The Ads: Television ads compare the thoughts of confused and anxious affluent investors with those of serene and grateful PaineWebber customers. In one ad set at a children’s soccer game, viewers overhear parents and grandparents watching the match. “It’d be great if money would grow as fast as these kids,” muses one mother. The camera focuses on a father, who wonders, “College in four years, costs up . . . someone do the math here.” The camera then moves to a satisfied PaineWebber customer, who thinks, “Thank you, PaineWebber.” Other commercials set on a commuter train, a bicycle trip and in an airport terminal unfold in a similar manner.

Comment: In showing customers free of financial worry, PaineWebber portrays itself as a purveyor of solid investment advice. But the gratitude of these customers seems excessive. There’s no evidence in these commercials that PaineWebber has performed remarkably; none of its customers are boarding Lear jets. And let’s not forget that PaineWebber’s customers are paying full-service commissions for investment advice. Maybe PaineWebber should be thanking them. $$+

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Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on tastefulness and probable effectiveness, with $$$$ being highest.