The E*TRADE baby first appeared in the firm's television commercials in 2008, as a talking infant who discussed investing in an adult voice. The character quickly became one of the most recognisable advertising figures of that era, returning in a long-running series of spots set in everyday places, including on an aeroplane. Clips were shared widely online long after the original broadcasts, and the baby's deadpan delivery made short excerpts easy to reuse. That lasting recognition is why a fraction-of-a-second snippet still reads clearly in modern short-form edits.