(Nelson Muntz laugh)

I used to fix computers in a call center for executives/vp's (yeah, i know everyone is a vp in a bank)/their helpers and let me tell you, there's some looney frickin people workin that bank. If i were ever to join you Americans, rest assured, BoA would not be my banking choice.

This is just another example of what I experienced working with BoA.

BTW, to the BoA rep that reads these sights, you should tell your people not to insult other countries in the first sentence of a conversation.

yeah yeah, i know i can't spell sites properly :P

This reminds me of a work story from 2002/2003:
One of our "PC Manufacturing" clients had a website that contained approved stock photography for use in their marketing materials. Being a transplanted NYer, one of the graphic designers wanted my expert opinion on whether or not some of the images on the site were OK to use.

Confused, I clicked through, logged into the site, and was taken to a page of pics featuring downtown NYC pre-2001. I told her anything with the full skyline in it would be in bad taste, and that the client should be made aware of those images being there.

There were also some close-up shots that I told her I recognized as the WTC. I said those were OK to use because unless you KNEW it came from a collection of Downtown NY pictures it's essentially "some random building exterior".
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My guess here is that the ad's designer just looked up "Chicago" on a stock photo site and, not knowing any better or being from there picked that shot.

I'm glad you brought up the Macy's/Marshall Fields dispute. I live in Chicago and really don't understand it. People here lost their minds when Marshall Fields closed. There was yelling, crying, and general gnashing of teeth. You would think Macy's was bragging about fisting the corpse of Daly's dead mother the way people reacted.

What Chicagoans need to remember is, Chicago is a metropolitan city. But by no means is it cosmopolitan. What it comes down to is, Chicago is just an overgrown hick town with a population who overvalues their importance in the world. And they wonder why people on the coasts look down on the Midwest.

@ex_ea_slave: The gnashing of the teeth wasn't really real. It was about two dozen loonies who have nothing better to do.

What does make Chicago a cow-town is that the news media gives these goons a platform.

@ex_ea_slave: You are so right. We can't imagine why self important, pretentious snots would think ill of us. It keeps us up at night with worry. It is so darned confusing.

BofA will fail in Chicago similar to Macy's. You can't have it both ways - the "local bank" with "national reach."

Com'on people are not dumb. Either you're a local bank or you're not!!! We're not going to fall for this word-smith game. LaSalle was a Chicago institution, that can't be replaced. Just because the East/West Coasts have more money, and purchase Chicago firms left and right, doesn't mean they offer a superior product.

LaSalle was superior to BofA
Arthur Andersen was superior to any other accounting firm.
Leo Burnett is one of the best ad agencies.
Sidley Austin / Kirkland & Ellis are the best law firms.
Marshall Field's was superior to Macy's.

The East/West coasts could never hold a candle to Chicago!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that I HATE BANK OF AMERICA AND WISH THEY WOULD DIE A SLOW DEATH OF THE WORST KIND BURNING DOWN BELOW.

There, that feels better and yes, they screwed me by mistakenly closing thousands of accounts in California last year that had direct deposit.

They held our money for 30 days while they opened up new accounts and "looked for the money", also the customer service number was busy for 3 weeks, really!

Well, I for one can appreciate the irony here. B of A is desperately trying to win over La Salle's customers and employees, make nice in Chicago, woo new business clients---- and uses an old picture of a non-architecturally significant building that everyone knows was brought down by a wrecking ball? Great eye for detail, B of A. Really makes us want to give our money to you!

And, say what you will about Macy's, they didn't exactly set hearts a-flutter with their stellar knowledge of Chicago when they hit town either. Their many goofs made them look incompetent and insincere and they have continued to live up to that image quite nicely.

Macy's hasn't impressed a lot of people out here in Seattle, either. I, for one, am glad of the Marshall Fields uproar. All Macy's does is occupy the old Bon Marche' buildings and sell the Frangos that the Bon got when they took over Frederick & Nelson -- they aren't anything like the Bon.

I am so tired of people dumping on Chicagoans' civic pride and support for that which is local. Overvalue our importance in the world? I don't think so. Chicago is one of ten alpha cities in the world (look it up) and without our transportation and distribution services, this country would pretty much grind to a halt. People on the coasts look down on us because they are a-holes. You want provincial? Find someone in Manhattan who ever travels west of the Hudson River. Or someone in L.A. who's ever been east of Las Vegas. If you are so tired of our backwoods city, why don't you do yourself and us a favor and MOVE. Oh... sure hope you have a million dollars in the bank because that's what it'll cost you to buy someplace to live on either of the overpriced, overrated and overbearing costs. Call me. I'll help you pack.

@sroelofs: Well played, my friend.

@ex_ea_slave: "I'm glad you brought up the Macy's/Marshall Fields dispute. I live in Chicago and really don't understand it. People here lost their minds when Marshall Fields closed."

...reminds me of when Macy's bought the Filene's chain that was based here in Boston...I miss our Filene's...

(mind thinks of song "Memories")

HEY, leave us alone! Chicago rules.

Personally, I've never been able to form an emotional connection to a bank. I bank with a global chain, and the reason I like it is because of the personal bonds I've made with the staff - not the policies of the company. However, if some stupid giant corporation can't be bothered to actually get a decent ad agency who can give a second glance to our skyline - let them burn.

I don't miss the Marshall Fields chain as much as some people, but I find delicious neophobe happiness in the fact that Macy's has to live with that big metal signage on the side of the State Street location FOREVER. The Fields sign will be there even after Macy's folds and another giant company takes over.

Mwahahahahahaaaa!

"Local interests" and "national bank" - the idea is absurd.

I do the graphic design for our credit union, and all it takes is a quick drive through the few towns we're in to get an idea of the place.

What might help is to actually hire local folks to do your marketing. An Chicago native would know that Sun-Times building is history. Instead, some yahoo in NY said, "Gosh, this photo looks fine. Let's use it!"

It's not responsible marketing. It's a shame.

Honestly, it is our own fault for selling Chicago off to the coasts. Trump, Macy's, BofA... there really is nothing left of Chicago that is unique to Chicago, is there?

Even our fantastic restaurants are going chain, but of course that is the way of America, kill the local guy and build up your corporate business! Because coporate America will keep its workers employed, intact and make sure to look out for you. When in fact the only one corporate America will look out for is itself. They have no concern for the little man.

That said, in this new Chicago where the decimation of our history and tradition (Marshall Field's, Carson's) is called "progress" by the leaders (Hello Daley) of the city, we are told to take it and smile. Where Governor Blago goes to a sporting event instead of staying at the state assembly vote on transit funding, I would rather Trump leave a whole in the ground on the river than have his name soar above our great city, a tower which would be the biggest symbol of Chicago's architectural decline.

But of course, Trump doesn't care about where he
goes or the traditions of the city, look at the tall
black brick he erected in Paris, which stands out as
an abomination above the Parisian landscape,
causing a permanent shadow on a part of the city at all times of the day.

Stay in New York or Los Angeles, we don't want you here and take your friends Trump, BofA and Macy's with you.

We are Chicago, the city of "big shoulders", we don't need either coasts to give us a leg up.

LaSalle has not been a Chicago bank for many years. It was a Dutch (ABN AMRO) company before BOA took it over.

The only reason people care is because the bank had the name LaSalle in it. If I open a place on Rush St. called Rush St. Bank I'd have a ton of ritzy people at my bank because my bank would be the place to be. It wouldn't matter that I'd have multiple branches throughout the city, including 2 locations on Harrison and 5 branches in Evanston and that I'm not from Illinois and don't really even like Chicago. I'd then open another bank called Wrigley Bank, and I'd have all of these people who don't know any better coming in to give me their money because they think I'm associated with the Cubs.
Chicago is a great city and all, but the people there are annoying (although generally nice as long as you wear your mean face while walking down Clark) in ways that you can't even comprehend unless you're from somewhere else.