Three Trust & Private Banking Ads. And the Winner Is . . .

My printed copy of The New York Times Sunday Magazine included no fewer than three ads for private banking and trust institutions. Three! Unprecedented, in my memory. The marketing directors of these august institutions must have decided to follow Tom Gerrity's advice and step up their new-business efforts in these uncertain times.

Each of the three takes a different approach to wooing the wealthy.

First Republic, now a unit of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Co., employs a client endorsement. (Click on ad for larger image.)


BNY Mellon relies on the familiar theme of relief from investment anxiety. (I'm still not thrilled by their arrowhead logo, but I'm glad they didn't include the shaft.)


Bessemer Trust earns my blue ribbon for Best of Trio. Irresistible headline. Pointed copy. Bessemer's investment pros assert that they dodged the auction-rate securities mess. And they claim to have been smart enough not to invest in "leading financial institutions." It's enough to make a guy wish he could measure up to Bessemer's $10 million minimum.