Kevin Spacey Replaces E-Trade Talking Baby In New Advertising Campaign

Actor Kevin Spacey is the new E-Trade pitchman.

Last month, the online brokerage announced that it was retiring the talking baby commercials that have been familiar to TV watchers since the 2008 Super Bowl. With a new management team in place, E-Trade decided it wanted to go into another direction with its advertising content.

In the last ad of the long-running campaign, the iconic talking baby “quit” the E-Trade gig (see embed below).

The new advertising approach will focus not on an arrogant infant but instead on the grown up so-called Type-E customer who the company describes as a “self-directed, independent, maybe a little irreverent, confident investor.”

Said Russ Messner, the company’s global managing director, about the change in concept, “The baby campaign was built on the idea that online trading can be a bit intimidating so we want it to feel so easy a baby could do it. The world has moved on from that, people are now very comfortable now doing financial transactions online, so it was time to evolve, while maintaining the tone and tenor E-Trade has in the marketplace.”

Kevin Spacey, who is riding high with the success of the hit Netflix original series House of Cards, will be an important part of the new campaign airing later this month that will still retain E-Trade’s irreverent edge. “The Kevin Spacey ads feature the actor as a ‘Talent Scout,’ tapping the shoulders of Type E customers, letting them know that they are, in fact, Type E, and they should work with E-Trade.”

On the Emmy-winning House of Cards, Spacey plays a corrupt politician who has schemed his way into the White House.

According to Liza Landsman, E-Trade’s chief marketing officer about hiring Spacey for the new series of commercials, “We saw him as a great person to bring this character to life because he’s smart, witty, and has a very modern sensibility.” Added Landsman: “The baby was really reflective of the past. Consumers have recognized investing is complex and hard work.”

Do you think Kevin Spacey will be an effective replacement for the E-Trade talking baby?

[Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]