St. John's-based Target Marketing and Communications is running a new advertising campaign for Capital G bank in Bermuda.

The campaign includes radio, print, online and direct mail components. As in Target's previous campaign for Capital G, which launched last November, the new ads feature the character of "Graham," a stuffy British man with a speech impediment that causes him to sprinkle his sentences with unusual uses of the letter "G."

In the three new 60-second radio ads, Graham is heard auditioning people to replace him while he goes on a vacation. He has difficulty communicating with the people auditioning, each of whom also have speech issues.

Noel O'Dea, president and director of strategic and creative planning for Target, says the character of Graham allows Capital G-the third-largest bank in Bermuda-to poke fun at its larger competitors in Bermuda while positioning itself as a smaller, friendlier and more flexible alternative.

"Graham is a bit of an upper-class twit-like in the Monty Python skit-and he operates in a world of his own construction. The other banks are a bit like him, in that they're very rigid and formal and aloof and self-important," says O'Dea. "By continuing Graham's story, we're trying to demonstrate how Capital G is different in their attitude and philosophy."

"The first campaign was hugely successful and Graham was a driving force," O'Dea continues. "He scored through the roof in terms of advertising recall."

The campaign began its six-week run last week.

* Glen (0.9mb)
* Gladys (0.9mb)
* Jorge (0.9mb)

-Matt Semansky