Do they even see the irony?

[herveus]

I've been peeved by the current name of the bank once known as Sovran. It seems presumptuous to call themselves "Bank of America". Of course, I didn't realize that the corporation that sprang from the Bank of Italy in San Franscisco was ultimately purchased by Nations Bank, so it's more legitimate than I thought.

However, what's interesting is recent ads plugging their "Bank Americard". Do they see the irony in a "Bank Americard" with a VISA logo on it? It's not an original name. They've used it in the past. You'd recognize the logo. It's now known as MasterCard.

Comments

[beckishadow.livejournal.com]

I'm amused.

(Doesn't stop the fact that I couldn't stand Nations Bank, and B of A wasn't much better...)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

NationsBank was, for the most part, slime. They broke written agreements just because they could.

I haven't seen any ads for BoA's new BankAmericard but I too remember that those cards got renamed Visa in the mid-1970s. Going to the BoA web site, I see cards with the bank's current logo on it, but no interlocking circles (the MasterCard logo, and Master Charge before that).

[luscious-purple.livejournal.com]

I thought Bankamericard became VISA because the former name was too long. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankamericard#Background.