Photo Contribution: The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte skyline has been a beloved part of this city for decades. It’s just one of the many things that make Charlotte a unique and intriguing place to be. Nearly any Charlotte local would tell you that they’re familiar with the stunning skyline, but what happens when big corporations want to use the skyline as their own personal marketing plaza? Do they hold the right because they own the building, or do they hold the responsibility to uphold and maintain the special charm of the skyline?
Just a few months ago, on June 15th, a new addition was welcomed to the skyline. 14ft tall bright red letters were hoisted onto the Wells Fargo building by a helicopter. Standing at 786ft tall, this building claims the spot of the second-tallest building in Charlotte, and the Wells Fargo building is easily one of the most recognizable buildings in uptown Charlotte. The bank first proposed this installation to city officials in 2023, and two years later, they officially made the move. Wells Fargo officials claimed that the new sign and updated lighting system would enhance community connections, but many wonder if these were their true intentions or if they just found an avenue for marketing and took the opportunity, while not considering the consequences. While the installation is disappointing to many, this isn’t the first occurrence of skyline sign installations.
In November of 2020, Truist bank installed their logo on their newly-purchased 659 feet-tall building located on N Tryon St. The building stands as the third tallest building in Charlotte. Similar to the Wells Fargo building, Truist also faced community backlash for their sign installation. Some locals claimed that the logo vandalized the building’s architecture and gave the skyline a “tacky look”. While they faced a degree of community backlash, they also had the support of many locals. People stated that they enjoyed the LED lights shining in the night sky and commended the bold move done by the company. While some stood behind the installation, others wonder if companies will continue to take advantage of their platform and influence over the city for their own marketing campaigns and company advancement.
While Truist received positive feedback from the community, it seems Wells Fargo hasn’t received the same reaction. Alex Nettles, a journalist for the Charlotte Observer put it this way: “the entire skyline feels overshadowed by a name tag.” He then added that the skyline is “not a marketing canvas for Charlotte’s biggest companies”. Overall, it seems the community is frustrated with an unnecessary move from Wells Fargo that focused more on their own acclaim rather than community impact.
Another reason for the backlash could be blamed on the building’s rich history. Locals may not appreciate when a building that has been around for so long becomes an avenue for modern marketing. The Wells Fargo building was built in 1990 with the original intentions being to house the Duke Energy Center. However the company later decided to change its plans and sell the building to Wachovia. Soon after, Wells Fargo announced their purchase of Wachovia and the building was established as the Wells Fargo building.
Ms. Wade, a Spanish teacher at Myers Park, has lived in Charlotte for 26 years. She’s been able to see the skyline evolve and change in a way many others haven’t. She stated that the sign steals focus from the architecture and the lights and “shifts the focus” from the art to the business aspect of the skyline. When asked about the installation of more signs, she said that she thought an increase in business signs would make us look “less like Charlotte, and more like Myrtle beach or Vegas”.
While the new installation has created a variety of opinions, all we can do is wait if any more companies will decide to follow in the footsteps of Truist and Wells Fargo, and if we will have to endure the sight of countless bank signs on the skyline.
