Cap One Cleans Up Samuel L. Jackson Ad After Outrage on Bank Innovation, Elsewhere
Capital One Financial Corp. has cleaned up what some consider to be salty language in a recent TV advertisement in response to outrage from consumers, as well as many who commented on Bank Innovation.
Historically, each Bank Innovation post generates a handful of comments. But last week we posted the video of Capital One’s new advertisement featuring Samuel L. Jackson and it spurred more than a little fuss. Nearly 80 comments were submitted on the post. A majority of them were negative, calling the use of the word “damn” in “very poor taste.”
From today’s American Banker:
[T]he commercial sparked an outsized reaction from angry commenters at various websites, including AmericanBanker.com, BankInnovation.net, and credit card discussion forums. Some of those people threatened to close their accounts or stop using their cards. Now Capital One is replacing at least some airings of the profanity-laced ad with a more G-rated version, in which Jackson promises rewards “every single day.”
Bank spokeswoman Pam Girardo said the second version of the commercial was part of a planned series featuring Jackson and Capital One’s new Quicksilver credit card.
“The first ad was designed to draw attention to the new campaign,” Girardo said in an email. “Our next ads that began airing this week continue to showcase Jackson in a direct and humorous way by dramatizing the ease and superiority of Quicksilver.”
For the record, Bank Innovation reached out to Capital One about the ad and the controversy, but received no comment.
However, as one Bank Innovation reader commented on our site today, those who felt the ad was inappropriate feel vindicated:
THEY LISTENED TO ALL OF US… Capital One has replaced the word “damn” with “single”. Now the CO QuickSilver card commercial now includes the phrase “every purchase, everywhere, every SINGLE day” It was even changed for late night, I just saw the new improved version while watching Letterman on CBS at 12:15AM. Just goes to show that if we continue to speak out about these topics we can achieve results. I’m glad Capital One made this important enough to change it for all of us, and our children.
