TD Bank Financial Group today launched its first-ever U.S. brand advertising campaign designed to increase awareness of TD and its U.S. presence.

The print and television ads, which reference TD Banknorth, TD Ameritrade and TD Securities, introduce TD as one of North America’s 10 largest banks measured by market capitalization.

“This advertising campaign is an exciting next step in the growth of TD’s brand, which for over 150 years has built a solid reputation in Canada, but is less well known among U.S. consumers, investors and media,” said Dominic Mercuri, chief marketing officer, TD Bank. “Both the launch of TD Banknorth last summer, and the creation of TD Ameritrade, brought the TD brand front and center with millions of U.S. consumers, and we look forward to building upon this awareness and demonstrating our commitment to the highest level of service for our U.S. banking customers.”

The advertising campaign launches with an initial 17-week flight that targets eight mid-Atlantic and New England states, primarily where TD Banknorth does business. The campaign, which showcases the green “TD shield”, was created by FCB Toronto and has an estimated media value of US$25 million. With this campaign, the TD family’s overall annualized advertising spend is expected to match or exceed that of the top tier U.S. banks.

The print ad will run in more than 50 daily newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today, as well as in regional editions of Forbes, Fortune, Money, Barron’s and Bloomberg Markets. In addition to the two-thirds page print ad, the campaign includes a 30-second television ad that will run for 11 weeks in key markets.