The Wachovia ads are everywhere now – and actually, I find them very moving… with a friendly-looking banker walking to another bank in the rain in order to get the passport from the vault … on time for the student to make his flight … the banker who gives his client his home phone number so that on a Sunday the banker can help the delivery guy solve his problem in order that supplies will get to Katrina victims on time … The personal touch!<\/p>\n
Wachovia. They really watch ovah yah, know what I mean?<\/p>\n
But then the voiceover says:<\/p>\n
“At Wachovia, we are absolutely obsessed with customer satisfaction.”<\/p>\n
Woah. Back OFF, Wachovia. Get a LIFE.<\/p>\n
It sounds a little desperate and stalker-ish to me. Also, it’s not JUST “obsessed” – which is bad enough when you’re talking about your BANK. It’s “absolutely obsessed” – which adds on to the creep factor. In general, if someone uses adverbs all the time, they are not to be trusted. (Ahem. Tom Croooze. He is KING of adverbs. Nothing is ever “great”, or “wonderful” or “incredible”. It’s “absolutely great.” “How is Kate?” “Absolutely wonderful. Absolutely great. She is magnificent. Absolutely magnificent.” My e-meter is goin’ off the charts now, Tom, just so you know. I think you need a sec check PRONTO. Cut out those adverbs and I might buy your line of bull malarkey.)<\/p>\n
Excessive use of adverbs = empty-souled emotional black hole.<\/p>\n
So back to Wachovia. I think COMMITMENT is a far better word for a bank to use than “absolutely obsessed”.<\/p>\n
I mean, hell, I’d love it if my banker would walk down the street to another vault on a Sunday in order to get my passport out of hock – making his way over the sidewalks underneath his umbrella, smiling a private smile at the good work that he does … I would love it if I had my banker’s home phone number … but I don’t want ANYONE to be “absolutely obsessed” with me. Just back OFF, Wachovia. How ’bout you be COMMITTED to my satisfaction not OBSESSED with it, mkay?<\/p>\n
Every time I hear it (and the ads appear to be on all the damn time now) I kind of laugh. It’s so EMOTIONAL. Even though the voiceover voice is measured and calm, there is a sonic-boom SCREAM of desperation beneath the calm … like a wasted girl at a frat party who believes the guy she’s doing jello shots with is her soulmate – the sloshy tears, the recriminations after only 10 minutes of knowing each other … the creepy Fatal Attraction potential … “Absolutely obsessed” is actually TOO invested in someone’s satisfaction.<\/p>\n
There’s a fine line between “absolutely obsessed” and a bunny boiling on the stove.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Wachovia ads are everywhere now – and actually, I find them very moving… with a friendly-looking banker walking to another bank in the rain in order to get the passport from the vault … on time for the student … Continue reading