Have your say: Are Kiwibank's ads outrageous?

We've all seen the advertisements. The good-looking, independent, late-twenties/early-thirties Kiwi girl confidently standing up to the half-witted, male, Australian bankers who are trying to infiltrate New Zealand's new underground banking movement. Add in the backdrop of Australian 'suits and ties' filing into the country past Piha's iconic Lion Rock, coupled with the glowing faces of Kiwis who have suddenly found a new hope in the banking market, and you get a nice little kick of nationalistic sentiment that arouses the revolutionary spirit in all of us (well, supposedly). They're just adverts, aren't they? Outgoing BNZ chairman Kerry McDonald told the Dominion Post he thought New Zealand state-owned Kiwibank's advertising was "reprehensible" and "outrageous." McDonald also complained about Kiwibank effectively getting a government subsidy, and that this was the most "unsatisfactory part of the banking equation." Furthermore, he suggested that Kiwibank was not adding to the banking market and that it should operate on the same basis as other banks. Kiwibank chief executive Sam Knowles replied to McDonald's comments, saying they were a bit excessive. "The advertising campaign is intended to be fun and is clearly a spoof with an invasion of the beaches, hints of an underground resistance movement and a hostage who is clearly not in any danger or under any threat," Knowles said. What are your views? Are Kiwibank's ads too over the top - outrageous even? What about Kiwibank's "government subsidy?" Is it the most unsatisfactory part of New Zealand's banking equation, effectively giving Kiwibank an advantage over its Australian-owned rivals? Is it a good thing for New Zealanders have the choice of a state-owned bank, or should Government not be involved in the banking market here? Comments below please.