E-Trade's finance-talking infant was originally created by WPP's Grey New York as a one-time demonstration that the online brokerage is so easy, even a baby can do it. But for the idea to work in the Super Bowl, a stage that invites crushing scrutiny, E-Trade and Grey had to make viewers forget they'd seen the same basic "talking baby" gag plenty of times already, Grey Chief Creative Officer Tor Myhren told The New York Times before the game:

“For the Super Bowl, you need to entertain to a certain level and appeal to the greatest number of people.”

Grey and E*Trade are confident that viewers will perceive the commercials to be in “a very, very different voice” from other spots, Mr. Myhren said. Asked how sure he is, he laughed and replied: “I hope so. Tell me after the game, because we all know it will be judged.”

As it happened, viewers couldn’t resist the stock-buying baby after this and another 30-second spot in Super Bowl XLII (see also the fourth-quarter part two), yielding an enduring brand mascot set for five more Super Bowl appearances. Its final Super Bowl appearance would come in 2013 with "Save It."  

Director: Randy Krallman, who would also direct E-Trade's 2009 sequel "Wings." Production company: Smuggler.

Chief creative officer: Tor Myhren. Creative director: Jonathan Crain. Executive producers: Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Lisa Rich. Copywriter: Ari Halper. Art director: Steve Krauss. Senior account executive, new business: Ben Darche. Editorial: Cosmo Street. Editors: Lawrence Young, Jason Macdonald. 

BRAND: E-Trade

YEAR: 2008

AGENCY: Grey

SUPERBOWL: XLII

QUARTER AIRED: Q3