Your bank is associated with the "bad banker". You should hire Ann Curry, NBC news (who looks like the girls mother to sit in for a rerun and tell the bad banker "She already has a horse...followed by a Clydesdale who drags the guy's ass off the stage. (Walt Disney, RIP and every viewer would have a a better impression of your bank. You owe the public and your stockholders a better view of your services than that weak, "want some candy little girl?" incident. The current ad should get high marks from child abusers and wife beaters.

This is Child abuse. It is not amusing in the least.

I will say the campaign is creative. However, kids ...and the bad guy so absorbed my attention I never remembered who the advertiser was. For the first dozen times I saw them I was trying to figure out how they got the kids to naturally react they way they did. After a google search I found out. Candid camera at its best. I personally think it is unfair to the children as they were obviously demeaned by their inability to handle the situation well. I will not be putting any of my retirement funds there.

I feel these advertisments are the most cruel and disgusting. We try to teach children to be kind and these are adults exhibiting cruelty and disregard for the feelings of others.

Comments about this ad are proof that everyone gets to choose how they react to everything. I've learned that my life is happy exactly to the extent I choose to react positively to things (people, events, media news and advertising, circumstances I find myself in). My positive reaction to this ad is that it helps me remember this age-old exhortation: "Ask and you shall receive." When the man in the commercial asks the 1st girl, "Do you want a pony?" she could have asked "Is it a REAL pony?!?" or she could have stated "Yes, I've been wanting a real pony for a long time!" (assuming that were true). But all she did was say "Yes" which meant she was willing to have ANY pony. The 1st girl was happy and satisfied when the man gave her the toy pony. The 2nd girl was sharing in the 1st girl's happiness and also feeling appreciation for the man's generosity. When the man asked the 2nd girl, "Do you want a pony?" and she said "Yes!", both girls (and ad viewers) expected the man to give the 2nd girl a toy pony. The man had every right to gift anyone anything (as is always true for all of us). There/s nothing wrong with him giving the 2nd girl a real pony! But we have the CHOICE to perceive the man is wrong or bad. The positive lesson I take from this ad is that if we want something, we must ask for it (ask someone else or just visualize it) IN GREAT DETAIL. If we don't do this, we can't "have it both ways" and be surprised, disappointed, and/or angry if we receive something that doesn't exactly match our desire or if someone else receives something better than what we received!

I starting thinking about my post (see next post) and I think I need to apologize and clear up a few things. I used sarcasm in Shocked Reaction #3 when I posed questions (It's on TV...,kids can't act...,and nobody knows) and sarcasm is hard to detect in text. So, to those of you who are so stupid to think this bank has been racist, abusive to children and too short-sighted to make a commercial against the Other Bank, I am sorry that you may have read those sarsatic questions as legitimate and, therefore, have become confused. However, I do offer help: 1-Learn to read (yes, I understand the bitter irony of this advice for illiterate people) 2-Learn something about non-linear editing...anything...wath the Bonus Footage on your kids' DVDs (dear God, I hope you don't have kids, as you have surely passed on your ignorance to them) 3-Learn something about people, something REAL. Listen to the opposition, not just the preacher, for once. 4-Get rid of your computer. You don't need to corrupt our ingenious communication tool with your stubborn ignorance. Now, to keep this rant from being totally pointless, I think the Ally Bank commercials are brilliant and I would consider banking with them simply on the strength of this commercial. I refuse to do business with a company that makes annoying, uncreative and ulimately stupid commercials.

Every time-yes, EVERY time-this commercial airs, I stop to watch it. I was curious to see if anyone else found it as funny and sweet, so I finally checked it out tonight. Wow. WOW! PeoplePeoplePeople: Racism?! Child abuse?!?! Homely Jewish kid???!!! Are you folks insane? That little girl utterly cracks me up, from the wonderful way she stands up for herself to the look-oh, that LOOK-she gives the "banker" (i.e., the "Douchebag.") Pure genius. I can't imagine how anyone could describe that little girl as "homely," she's adorable, and I hope this commercial runs a long time and nets her and all the other kids a good percentage of any success Ally gains from this campaign. Now, if I only had some money to invest. . .

Every time I see the look on that young girl’s face in the Pony Ad I say to myself “Thanks Ally for creating another female man hater.” Is it creative? Yes! Does it make me want to give my business to Ally? Hell no! The other ads are great but the Pony ad goes too far. The ad bugged me so much that I even goggled it to find out if the girl was an actor who was in on the skit. Lo and behold, she wasn’t and that look of hate on her face is real. I am a 50 something male who does have sufficient funds to invest in a products Ally likely would offer. But would I. Hell no. Not unless Ally would put me in that Pony ad with a three foot piece of garden hose so I can beat the living chit out of that male actor.

You one star losers think you are so righteous. You're the first people out of the church parking lot and giving the others trying to que up the cold shoulder. IT'S A COMMERCIAL for God's sake and it is hilarious and we quote "it's a piece of junk" all the time. Creative; but you aren't capable of enjoying comedy. Can I kick your pathetic ass so I can laugh, please?

one of the best ads I have ever seen in my life the psychology behind it, the appeal of the little girl who didn't get the real pony obviously she will be a lawyer or an an actress and the little blonde girl with her big YEAH, and no one heard her ask,, so implied, she asked off the camera but looking at her you know she didn't because she isn't that "precocious" I mean this is a study for a TV shoot class; writing, human bevior, cognitive studies, brain washing, subliminal commercial pre fab,, best ever,, really

I find the ad very racist and offensive.

You never know how it truly feels unless it has happened to you...society always depicts this through our media and were supposed to just accept it. It isnt right and I wish this company would pull this commercial. Its just wrong!!!

These ads are all hilarious. I'd suspected these were unscripted, since the kids' reactions are so genuine. Indeed, according to this CNBC article, they are: http://www.cnbc.com/id/31963049 "[Hank] Perlman [the director] gives [R J] Kelly [the Bad Banker] a lot of credit for getting a rise out of the kids, since he was the one “on the front lines” without a script. And, he said, it also has a lot to do with casting the kids. “It kind of has to start with finding kids who are really funny and interesting — who have that spark that makes you want to watch them,” Perlman said. The kids in the spots aren't your typical blond-haired blue-eyed Brady-type kids: The truck boy is chubby, the Pony girl is brunette and the bike girl is a redhead." In short, the ad isn't about racism. These ads are about reality. Real kids with real reactions. I think they're brilliant.

The arguments for and against this ad are missing the point. A)give advertisers more credit. whether they want to or not, advertisers have definitely considered the race/hair color of both girls. that is their job--to target an audience while simultaneously avoiding offensive situations, purposefully or coincidentally. they have to view ads from every angle to avoid lawsuits. B)this ad is geared to everyone generally, but specifically targeted towards non-whites and those with darker features. to portray a subliminally racist situation here only strengthens the ALLY message to those that identify it. either banks are racist or they aren't. if they are, then this commercial isn't offensive. if they aren't, this commercial should not offend those that seem to be outraged by this. if anyone, blondes everywhere should feel stereotyped. but i have not seen a single comment illustrating such a scenario. not everything is racist that deals with race. and not everything that is racist is against minorities.

This is pure racism, in action.

January 7, 2010 In real life, is the man in the ad the father of the girl he gives the pony to?

I am highly offended by this ad because as a gay african american liberal vegan I think this ad is discriminating against my people. He insinuated anal sex with the pony. I want a pony!!

To ed7697v: I could care less about doing business with this bank, but these were not traumatized kids... they were actors, a couple of whom have been in many commercials.

This Ad is grossly offensive and totally insensitive. The FIRST IMPRESSION and the ONLY impression for many viewers is to shut off the TV. I didn't even know it was an ALLY BANK AD until I saw it for at least 5 times. It offended me greatly. I guarantee you I will NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH ALLY BANK. If they are that insensitive to little kids, then certainly they won't be sensitive to anyone else's needs. By the way, We (the consumers) are paying for these ads with "our" Taxes as they just got another freebie cash infusion from Obama, because the showed poor judgement in granting loans and mortgages. TO ALLY BANK, I SAY "YOU REALLY SUCK!" and so does you Ad Agency.

When I watched this commercial I LOVED the girls for their honesty & sincerity. I NEVER saw hair color, ethnicity, class, rank, etc. For you people who did, you are the racists. If that's the 1st thing you see or all you can focus on it sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder that you need to identify. It doesn't matter who you are if your so simple minded that all you see is race, color, creed; you are racist.

I think this ad is disgusting. It is not funny at all. I woudl never have relations with this bank. They are dispicable.

The brunette child in the ad is as adorable as the blonde. Most of you have turned it into a racial issue, and this is why we are unable to move past this as a country. Shame on YOU.

I think this ad is disgusting and perpetuates the stereotypical myth that the child with blond hair is more deserving to receive a "real" pony than the brown haired child. I would never use your bank for that reason alone, and your ad needs to be taken off television as it has no redeeming value and devalues a child. Shame on you! Certainly you could have found a more effective way to make your point, or try to attract customers than the ploy you currently use. Rethink your message. You are giving the wrong message and don't use children in your commercials if you can't come up with something with more creativity than is currently being used!

The first time I saw the ad I thought it was blatantly racist. The homely Jewish kid gets screwed but the cute little blond girl gets the pony. I was shocked that a company would air a commercial like this...and still does.

just saw one last night. great.