MERRILL LYNCH ENCOURAGES CANADIANS TO INVEST WITH INTELLIGENCE
By Adnews Staff
Merrill Lynch HSBC Canada Inc. is promoting the redesign of its investment Web site at <http://www.invest.mlhsbc.ca> with a new marketing campaign and Mercedes-Benz giveaway. The campaign was created by Roche Macaulay & Partners and Lowe RMP Direct, both of Toronto, and includes print ads in The Globe and Mail, National Post and Chinese-language newspapers as well as banner ads on Globeinvestor.com, Yahoo and various properties served by 24/7. The campaign will run until the end of November, targeting self-directed investors with headlines such as "Trade online for under $25" and "Market Expertise. Global Reach." The giveaway component, intended to encourage investors to try the brokerage's Web site, is also promoted in the campaign with ads which read "It could be the first dividend you collect after switching online brokerages" and "Open a Merrill Lynch HSBC account and you could be in the driver's seat." The advertising is being accompanied by public relations from Holmes Creative Communications of Toronto.