A bank by any other name

Virgin.

Ptooee, for one needs to spit after uttering that word in reference to the company, which that was.

No, to be fair, everything attached to the moniker Virgin is not awful. Virgin trains, for example, run the truly fabulous Pendolinos. Virgin Media give me TV and, while not perfect, are a million times better than they were when they were Telewest. Virgin Records weren't hateful, nor is Branson himself.

I should be more precise with my bile. My hatred in this instance lies with Virgin Money. Ptoooee. The providers of the biggest rip off credit card I have ever had the misfortune to own. MBNA were the actual perpetrators of misery but Virgin Money put their name to it and made that name synonymous with unscrupulous and exploitative.

Unlike other financial institutions of course who as a one are lovely and caring, putting their customers first and doing what they can to maximise interest and minimise... I can't finish that, even facetiously.

And there I was innocently watching Channel 4 News, when along came a quite stunning advert for Virgin and the things they've done over the last 40 years. Because they run Pendolinos they will make Northern Rock (as was) a thoroughly nice bank. They're not going to do what other banks do.

Really? Do tell me more. What, no specifics?

Then they use the magic "this is how you can tell we're lying" words: Virgin Money. Eeee eeee eeee! Alarm! Virgin Money are shiny and aesthetic, and will take every penny they can off you.

Besides, Nationwide said all that "we're not like other banks, we're not even a bank" once, then they had the change and they too stole my last penny and charged me for taking it. Sob!

It is a rather lovely advert however. Watch it. Directed by über-director Duncan Jones, aka, or previously known as rather, Zowie, son of David Bowie. His first two films, Moon and Source Code, are magnificent, and so is this advert. A shame it is for a bank, and a bank with such a name.