UK consumer body Which? is inviting bank customers to visit a new Website and select a theme tune for a new bank-bashing campaign, dubbed 'Britain Needs Better Banks'. Choice songs on the shortlist include 'I hate you so much right now' by Kelis and 'Money for nothing' by Dire Straits.
The new anti-bank campaign comes on the back of research which indicates that almost two thirds of people are still angry with the banks for causing the financial crisis.
Three out of five of the 1004 people sampled by Which? don't feel that banks have learned their lessons from the crisis, and four out of five believe that senior level bankers have got away without having to pay the price for their mistakes.
Such is the frustration with banks that a third of those interviewed think that, in future, the government should allow them to go bust rather than bail them out, and just under four out of five believe the banks have not done enough to ensure a credit crunch doesn't happen again.
To press home the point, Which? has published a shortlist of songs on its 'Britain Needs Better Banks' website - www.bnbb.org - from a national poll that it says "sum up peoples' views of the banks":
- Gold Digger - Kanye West
- Hey Big Spender - Shirley Bassey
- I Hate You So Much Right Now - Kelis
- I'm Paying Taxes, What Am I Buying - Fred Wesley and the JBs
- Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
- Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
- Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Elton John
- Take The Money And Run - Steve Miller Band
- That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain
- The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
The consumer group is inviting people to visit the site and vote for one of the shortlisted titles, or nominate their own suggestion.
Which? head of campaigns, Louise Hanson, says: "People tell us they're angry - a year after the bailout, banks are still treating them like second class citizens with poor customer service and shoddy sales tactics. Consumers are wary of what the banks say. It's not going to be easy for the banks to regain the public's trust, but a good start would be for them to say sorry - and mean it."