• USA Today, Wednesday, January 18, 2006 12:15 PM

Charles Schwab is getting serious in a new ad campaign that marks a departure from the financial services marketer's usual approach. The somber effort is designed to lure customers away from the big brokerage houses and online trading companies, a longtime Schwab target. But instead of taking a humorous tone, as Schwab ads did in the past, these ads feature unique animated characters talking about investments in plain language. The campaign tries to make investing more "human and approachable," says Ben Stuart, Schwab's vice president of brand strategy and advertising. "It's not about being funny," says Stuart. "It's about being candid and real. This is a marked shift in our approach to be significantly more reflective of investors and their wants and needs."

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