GOODBYE GOLDSTEIN: ASB is retiring the ad series that star the bumbling American Ira Goldstein.

ASB Bank has sent its bumbling banking spy Ira Goldstein back to the United States with a final advertisement running on television this week.

ASB’s brand and marketing general manager Deborah Simpson said the ad would celebrate Goldstein’s 11-year long mission to discover and report back to his New York boss "what makes that bank different".

"Kiwis have taken Goldstein into their hearts and homes, and he has become an iconic figure in our country’s advertising," Ms Simpson said.

The final ad would reveal what happens to Goldstein.

Goldstein’s demise was flagged last month when the bank announced a branding review and changed advertising agencies to the New Zealand office of the creative agency Droga 5.

The award winning campaign was created by advertising agency TBWA\Tequila and featured American actor Stephen Mellor as Goldstein, Australian actor Bruce Venables as the Boss. They were directed by Paul Middleditch.

ASB will launch a new advertising campaign later this year.