Magazine page-turners from the past.

How times have changed. Let's take a brief visit to the past in commemoration of the 90th anniversary year of the ABA Marketing Network and its predecessor organizations. What follows below are three excerpts from publications that later evolved into what is now called ABA Bank Marketing magazine. We offer samples from three different decades.

The 1960s: The Good, the Bad and the Politically Incorrect An excerpt from "Beautiful PR," Bank Marketing Management, July 1969

Most bank marketing men will agree that beautiful tellers will attract customers who might otherwise bank with the competition.

But the question immediately arises: Is it better to hire beautiful women and train them to become tellers, or is it possible to take train tellers and turn them into beauties?

Detroit Bank and Trust Company took the latter approach. Under the direction of Miss Leah Dunham, assistant vice president and officer-in-charge of the women's banking services department, the bank embarked upon a trial program of beautifying its miler staff.

Tellers were picked at random and the face-lifting work was begun.... Says Miss Dunham: "A new look definitely enhances a woman's work and outlook."

The 1970s: This Could Catch on An excerpt from "New Services & Promotions," Bank Marketing, February 1976

Fidelity Bank, Philadelphia, is the first commercial bank in Pennsylvania to receive permission to open a branch office in a supermarket.

The Pennsylvania Department of Banking approved Fidelity's application for a pilot program with Food Fairs Stores Inc. Under the program, the bank will open a mini branch this year in the Pantry Pride Market located in Northeast Philadelphia.

Through the mini branch, Fidelity can study the possibilities of such mini installations, various services which might be offered and evaluate the eventuality of offering those services on an automated basis.

The 1980s: No Thanks, We'll Wait for the Internet Instead. An excerpt from "Omaha Is Banking by Cable TV," Bank Marketing, May 1982

Home banking via cable TV is about to become a reality in Omaha, Neb. Unlike many other home banking efforts, it is not a test.

Households are signing up for the two-way interactive service with the understanding that home banking and home shopping are standard options in their cable TV package. The city will be the first metropolitan area in the country with a cable installation that is totally wired for two-way communication.

Because it will take two years or more for the city to be fully wired, it will be an extended period of time before the program could be considered to be a broad delivery system. Starting with the first home banking use in the spring of 1982, however, Omaha National Bank management expects to gain unique insights into consumer reactions to banking by TV.