One credit report Helena

(http://www.whosdatedwho.com/) TESS VIGELAND: FreeCreditReport.com is one credit report Helena one of the sites that will have to change the way it advertises. And that likely means no more F-R-E-E that spells freeeeee. Leaving controversy aside for a moment, those ads are really catchy. As it turns out, there's also a kind of Behind the Music story to be told about them. And who better to tell it than Marketplace's Sean Cole. Free Credit Report commercial: They say a man should always dress for the job he wants / So why am I dressed up like a pirate in this restaurant? Sean Cole: So Free Credit Report has put out nine of these commercials over the past three years. And on the off-chance you haven't seen them, they're collectively like a sitcom of financial despair. Our hero is a slacker guitar player with curly hair, backed up by his trusty bassist and drummer. Free Credit Report commercial: Well I was shoppin' for a new car / Which one's me? / Too bad I didn't know my credit was whack / 'Cause now I'm drivin' off the lot in a used subcompact / F-R-E-E that spells free... Free Credit Report commercial: But she didn't tell me her credit was one credit report Helena bad / So, now... credit card report

It's a distinctly American saga, which is funny, because one credit report Helena the actor who plays the slacker musician? And when you hear his real voice, you will never look at these ads one credit report Helena the same way again. Eric Violette: one credit report Helena Hi, my name is Eric Violette. Eric one credit report Helena Violette, the face of America's credit woes, is French-Canadian.

The ads were all filmed in Montreal, presumably because it's cheaper. And when I found out who he really was, I had to drive up to Canada to talk to him. Cole: I can't believe I'm sitting here with you. Initially, we just geeked out on all of this behind-the-scenes minutiae. He really does play all of the jingles accurately on guitar when they shoot.

Rather, they blare the pre-recorded tracks super loudly at the actors one credit report Helena through a P.A. creditreport And when he's lip-synching, sometimes the way he pronounces English words doesn't look right.

Violette: On the Pirate one, like, I say an atom bomb.

Free Credit Report commercial: I should have seen it coming at me like an atom bomb.

Violette: So I was always saying A-tom bomb.

A-tom bomb, because in French one credit report Helena we say bomb atomique -- a-TOM a-TOM-ic. They shot the Pirate ad and the Dream Girl ad in September of 2007. And after that, Eric says he kind of forgot about the whole thing. Violette: I began to receive e-mails from the United States from people I didn't know. Violette: Yeah, I did receive some pictures of women naked. It's so flattering, but she sent these pictures to the guy on the commercial, you know, so it's not me.

It's like another reality for me, because they don't air the commercials one credit report Helena here unless you have satellite television. So one credit report Helena people don't recognize me very often over here because of these commercials. Laurent holding two pictures of Eric, including a screen shot from one of the ads. I'm just wondering if you've ever seen this man before? Woman 4: Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno I don't think so. free credit report 3 And of the handful who did recognize one credit report Helena him, it was usually for the same reason. Cole: And are you guys Canadian or American? Man 2: Uh, we're American. Violette: It's very weird. You know, I cross the border, and the guy at the border recognizes me, you know? Cole: Is the guy at the border surprised when you open your mouth? Imagine there's a line drawn in the dirt about two hours from your house. People stop Eric on the street in America and one credit report Helena ask for his autograph.

At one point one credit report Helena he made the mistake of going to Mardi Gras. Violette: And when people recognize me they were obviously pretty drunk.