Presswatch: Capital One - 'Identity theft assistance'

by Vanessa Clifford, Managing partner, MindShare, Marketing 02-Mar-05, 15:53

As I perused this month's top 20 Presswatch table, in which retail brands feature rather heavily, my thoughts initially turned to shopping.

Not shopping of the shoe and handbag variety, unfortunately, but shopping nonetheless. Was it a new sofa I needed, or maybe a washing machine? Perhaps I also had time to repaint my house before my shiny new purchases arrived. I was just wondering which of the top 20 advertisers to discuss in this column when I got to the ad that brought me back down to earth with a bump - Capital One Identity Theft Assistance.

Why did this ad catch my attention? The very simple but strong message, that it's extremely easy for someone to impersonate any of us - a paid bill thrown away or a carelessly discarded bank statement are both tools used by identity thieves. Just as I had been considering what I was going to spend my money on next, it became quite clear that someone else might be intending to do the very same thing in my name.

What makes this creative so strong, however, is more than just the subject matter.

First, how refreshing it is to see a credit card ad with a totally different look and feel. Most ads in this market consist of messages about balance transfers and 0% interest periods. A much rarer sight is a credit card ad that makes me stop and read it because it is offering me something unique.

Second, these ads really are part of a multimedia campaign. While it is true that newspapers offer a great environment in which to convey detail, that doesn't make it compulsory. Too often we see brands' beautifully shot TV commercials, fantastic 96-sheets and then press ads crammed full of detail, and bearing precious little synergy with the other media activity.

It's often hard to see that the press ads are part of the same campaign.

But the main reason I think the ads are so strong is the consistent use of Alistair McGowan. Love him or hate him, he is the impressionist of the moment, effortlessly entertaining us with his impersonations from sporting heroes to politicians. When he says 'I could do a frightening impersonation of you,' whether it is through your TV screen or from the page, you truly believe that he could.