It's been nearly nine months since the collapse of Washington Mutual Bank of Seattle and its takeover by JPMorgan/Chase Bank and the still incomplete computer conversion is providing an image windfall for credit unions, CU leaders maintain.

As testament to the banking hangover, the Credit Union Association of Oregon points to a whopping 88% increase in traffic on its Web site, you-belong.org, in line with a three-month TV awareness campaign generating unexpected buzz.

"We are hearing it all over town from people saying, 'I'm switching to a credit union'" commented Laurie Kresl, vice president of Unitus Community CU of Portland, in referring to consumer complaints over bank account closings and related snafus tied to the WaMu merger.

CU officials express surprise that Chase Bank is just now completing the conversions while also finally replacing branch signage in Washington State, Oregon and even California and Arizona prompting confusion and angst among bank customers.

The computer glitches come as the CUAO winds up June 30 a $320,000 TV and cable awareness campaign featuring a pair of animated spots that end up with the line, "so why would you do your banking anywhere besides a credit union?

The network and cable spots, described as "simple and direct," take viewers through a series of non-sequiturs "as in things you obviously would not do: like salmon fishing next to a grizzly bear." The ads conclude with the question on bank vs. CU choice.

"The spots are not flashy or upscale but they seem to be working," said Kresl noting also the TV ads "are giving credit union employees something positive to think about after all the bad news." As one CUAO official put it, "it's time to move on."