Classic Broker Commercials: Why They Worked

Commercials are a relic of the past, but before we had DVR's and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, we had commercials on TV. Advertisers recognized that consumers were becoming more and more distracted by technology and other obligations, so they created commercials that would catch your attention while also promoting their brand or product. In the late 70′s and 80′s, advertising was a lot different from today. There were no social media platforms to advertise on, no way of tracking if a commercial or ad campaign was successful, and consumer interaction with brands was limited to advertisements in newspapers and TV commercials. This is why classic TV commercials are so valuable – they can serve as an example for modern businesses that want to recreate the excitement of those decades. Of the many commercials that were released in the advertising heydays of the 70s and 80s, financial ads featured quite prominently, and these often featured brokers, investment houses and companies of such a nature. Let us now journey back and explore some of those classic broker commercials of yesteryear. E.F. HuttonFounded way back in 1904, E.F. Hutton was at one point the second-largest brokerage in the US. During the 70s and 80s the company came up with an ad campaign which espoused the following tag line: “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” Smart, short and effective, this type of tag line would come to define a lot what television viewers experienced in those times. The campaign itself was the brainchild of Benton & Bowles, an ad agency that was brought in to replace the old slogan of “More than just brokers.” While the company itself eventually disappeared through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the brand E.F Hutton lives on through a management team overseen by family members. Smith BarneyFrom the years 1979 to 1992, Smith Barney ran a series of ads whose tag line, “Smith Barney: They make money the old fashioned way. They earn it,” came to define the company’s brand ethos in the mind of the public. They really went to town on their campaigns too; until 1986 actor John Houseman appeared in 18 TV commercials after which he was replaced by actor Leo McKern in 1987.Shearson, HammillEstablished way back in 1902, Shearson, Hammill ran commercials with the following tag line: "If you want to know what's going on Wall Street, ask Shearson, Hammill." One can tell by the old grainy texture of the ad that the company took full advantage of the medium of television while it itself was still largely in its infancy. The ad itself does well in giving the public a cursory yet still broad enough overview of how investment banking and brokers operated back then, which is a far cry from the technology of our day which supports big trading platforms online and all kinds of extra technological amenities such as automated trading software. Unfortunately for Shearson, Hammill, it eventually succumbed the stock market crash of 1972 -73. The takeawayEach one of these classic broker commercials, despite their age, has something short, smart and informative to say. They maintain a certain degree of class and style that can still be acknowledged in the age of You Tube, social media and quick fixes. Old classics like these give hope to the notion that consumers have become more jaded towards advertising. A good place for business owners to turn to in order to get inspiration for marketing campaigns is classic TV commercials. It's important to see what worked well in the past, so that the same feelings can be invoked in modern day audiences. -