Thursday, March 12, 2009

Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis (Tower)?

One of the most iconic buildings in the world will soon have a new name. Sears Tower, at one point the tallest skyscraper on earth, will be known as Willis Tower starting this summer.
The Chicago Tribune
reports that willis Group Holdings
, a London-based insurance broker, didn't have to pay anything for the name. After consolidating its area offices to the Tower, Willis was given naming rights to the 36-year-old skyscraper. It was a package deal, of sorts. According to the Tribune, Willis is hoping its newest venture increases the company's name recognition in the United States. Apparently, it's a big player across the pond, but few Yanks know anything about it.
Clearly the move is already having an effect in Search. Lookups on "willis tower," "sears tower," and "
what is willis company" immediately soared into the stratosphere. But some wonder if native Chicagoans will play along with the name change. CNN
quotes a local historian as saying that it will be hard for residents "to shift and start calling it (Sears Tower) something else."
Indeed, a message board on a Chicago station's website features many sarcastic and "Is nothing sacred?"-type remarks. One saying
: "They can rename it whatever they want, the people who live here will always refer to it as The Sears Tower."
Ain't that a bish! I guess everything has a price tag in today's economy.

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