Pancakes = Opportunities + Optimism for Bank of America

By Jeffry Pilcher

Published on November 10th, 2008 in Marketing Strategies

Bank of America’s current brand TV ad titled "Pancakes" is an artfully subtle message of hope and reassurance.

It sends a message about the economy that Americans want to hear: "Things will be okay and we’ll get through this."

"No matter how long
the night has been,
there’s always breakfast.
This is America.
The sun comes up and
we get a fresh start."
BofA’s ‘Pancakes’

In a sense, the ad is almost an ad for "Brand America" (not just the bank, but the whole country). It taps deep into the American psyche, speaking directly to the consummate faith in our power to prevail through even the darkest times.

Script for BofA’s "Pancakes"

No matter how long the night has been, there’s always breakfast.
This is America. The sun comes up and we get a fresh start.
At Bank of America,
opportunities are waiting for every customer, every day.
Like risk-free CDs, innovative ways to save,
and smarter ways to spend.
No wonder one-out-of-two households in America
trust their finances with Bank of America. Bank of Opportunity.

Sorry, you can’t see the spot anywhere online yet.
A spokesman from BofA told The Financial Brand the current economic crisis has kept the bank’s
internal communications team too busy to upload its latest spots to its Newsroom.
Here are a few still images from "Pancakes."

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Who knew pancakes could make such a beautiful metaphor? It’s almost like saying, "Hey, America just had a real economic bender. Glad that’s over. Now let’s have breakfast and get this hangover behind us." Coupled with the visuals, it’s wonderfully optimistic.

The spot positions BofA as a leader, poised to guide America out of our economic crisis. This is a much more creative way to reassure people with a "safe and sound" message than simply saying, "We’re safe and sound."

The spot weaves in a few products and services, then finishes with a point-of-proof that essentially says "half of America trusts us, so you can too."

All around, it’s a smart spot — one that’s on-brand for BofA, offering a relevant, timely message.

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