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"Law & Order" Actor to Remain in Ads for Brokerage Firm

A newly formed company is using a familiar face to send its message out to consumers. The company, TD Ameritrade, was formed in January after the Ameritrade Holding Corporation, a brokerage firm, completed the acquisition of TD Waterhouse USA from Toronto-Dominion Bank. A new, multimedia advertising campaign begins Monday to introduce the company to investors, and its spokesman will be actor Sam Waterston, well-known to TV viewers as prosecuting attorney Jack McCoy on the popular series "Law & Order," a role he has played for the past 11 seasons. Waterston had also served as the spokesman for the TD Waterhouse brokerage firm for the past two years. "We had to decide whether or not Sam and his appeal with the old brand would alienate the Ameritrade customers," said Chris Armstrong, executive vice president for sales and marketing at TD Ameritrade. To the contrary, Armstrong said research found that Mr. Waterston "resonates incredibly well with customers of both brands." The new TD Ameritrade campaign carries the theme, "The independent spirit," expressed in headlines like, "Independence is the spirit that drives America's most successful investors." The double meaning is meant to evoke the do-it-yourself approach of current and potential TD Ameritrade customers.

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