Public Flogging for Bailed-Out Marketers Like Citi, BofA†

Pols, Media Dismiss Ads From Automakers, Citi, BofA as Waste of Money

Advertising Age, February 9, 2009 — In the marketing and media industries, it's widely believed that advertising, done right, is an investment in future business results. But the question today is whether the rest of the country can be persuaded to see it that way. In the past week, advertising, in all its forms, has become a whipping boy for recipients of Troubled Asset Relief Program funds. The more than $300 billion in bailout bucks poured into automakers and financial institutions to keep them afloat has subjected their marketing efforts to unprecedented public scrutiny and criticism.