Second Thoughts On Home BancShares Ad

In our June 2 and June 30 Whispers, we told you a bit about the Home BancShares Inc. ad running in central Arkansas touting it as bank to be trusted because it is “in the ads, not the news.”

Encouraging customers to put their money with “someone who can actually handle their own,” the HomeBancShares ad was a poke at national banking troubles according to public relations agency Sells/Clark, and not a jab at Arkansas institutions and Home competitors that have encountered problems with federal regulators.

We couldn’t help but think of the ad when news broke this week that Home BancShares subsidiary Twin City Bank of North Little Rock reported $2.1 million had been embezzled by one of their senior vice presidents.

Twin City’s net income in 2007 was $6.7 million, making the embezzlement particularly substantial. The bank was quick to assert that no customer funds were affected by the embezzlement.

We just wonder if anyone is planning on an ad mentioning anything about glass houses and/or throwing stones.