Bank ads pay political dividends

Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens has been a mid-level manager at Zions Bank for more than a decade. But as Stephens eyes the 2004 governor's race, his private employer continues to run TV ads featuring one of Stephens' GOP challengers: Fred Lampropoulos.

"I don't work for the advertising" part of the bank, Stephens said. "I have no interaction with them."

Stephens, who has worked at Zions for 14 years, said he has not spoken to any manager at the bank about the Lampropoulos ads and doesn't plan to.

Lampropoulos' Merit Medical Systems Inc. is a Zions corporate customer, and over the past year or so the bank, known for some creative advertising, has been running ads featuring some of its clients talking about how great Zions is.

Lampropoulos' spot has the photogenic millionaire saying he calls his Zions banker any time, anywhere, even on Sundays, to get his financial problems solved.

The ad does not mention that Lampropoulos is running for governor next year. While Lampropoulos has not officially declared his candidacy, he has formed a political action committee, is meeting with GOP delegates and appeared at Republican county and state conventions this spring and summer seeking support.

If a news story on the governor's race fails to mention Lampropoulos by name as one of the GOP contenders, the reporter gets a call or e-mail from Dave Hansen, Lampropoulos' campaign consultant, asking why he was left out.

Lampropoulos' firm is a valued bank customer, said Rob Brough, senior vice president for Zions public relations. About 14 client spots started running last September in rotation. They ended after 10 weeks but were started again this summer, he said.

The ads will end soon, although a few may linger through the University of Utah's fall sports schedule, Brough said. He couldn't say how often the Lampropoulos ad has run, or whether it will run through this fall.

"I can say there were never any political thoughts in picking (Lampropoulos) for the ads," Brough said. "It was only (for) client relations." Zions Bancorp. does have a political action committee that makes donations regularly in Utah races, but that is run by employees who had nothing to do with picking the clients for the ads, Brough added.

It is clear that name recognition — like the kind the TV advertisement provides — is sought by Lampropoulos.