The guy who taught me how to tend bar was a classic New York wiseass who had a crack for everything. So if you said something was “growing on you”, you got the “yeah, like fungus” quip. (Hey, I never said he was Henny Youngman.)
At any rate, that’s definitely how some advertising campaigns work–on me at least. When I first saw this one I remember thinking: “oh great, now the math majors are not only running most corporations, they’re art directing the ads, too.”
But this approach has really grown on me. It’s distinctive, fast, makes its point and is easily extendible. And if the Wharton and U of C types relate to it; so much the better. So Mikie, I mean, Markie likes it. Which is one reason why Northern Trust will remain my corporate bank, while Chase–with its risible “Hello Hello” effort–is slated to get the heave-ho. (Okay, so it’s not as if the Sultan of Brunei was closing his account, but every little bit counts, or hurts, as the case may be.)
Actually, you see this “charts as headline” concept a lot in medical device advertising.