On my way to work today, I passed three Sovereign Bank employees wheeling around outside City Hall on Segways, handing out flyers. And not just any Segways, comically branded white & red Sovereign Bank Segways. It’s part of Sovereign’s spring marketing campaign to tell people about their $150 incentive to open checking accounts.
Now my colleague Amanda Mooney thought the Segways were a brilliant marketing gimmick only if your marketing goal was to make your brand look old and stodgy, and normally I would agree with her, but ever since Alexander Ovechkin & the Washington Capitals turned a Segway tour around DC into a hilarious media opportunity, I’ve been in favor of Segway marketing. Hey, they may look ridiculous, but at least we pay attention to them.
