Article: Bail bonds business heats up: It's comedy vs. class as rival firms compete for customers on TV.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

SAN JOSE, Calif. _ First, Bad Boys Bail Bonds used its wild sidewalk giveaways and showoff vans to revolutionize the marketing of a business with a dingy reputation.

Then it made the leap to television with a series of outrageous madcap commercials that featured its burly general manager in drag as "Your Mama," who wants you home.

But now, Bad Boys is engaged in a broadcast battle of sorts with arch-competitor Aladdin Bail Bonds, a company that apes its methods but not its style. Aladdin has launched commercials that hard-sell the risky business calmly and, you might even say, delicately.

Call it Comedy vs. Class, with two opponents offering ...

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