Atlanta Braves learn their new stadium name, and it’s a corporate flop
By Josh Mathews
We knew this day would come when earlier this year, SunTrust and BB&T banks announced their plans to merge. But we were hoping for something better.
Riding high on an offensive-driven five-game win streak that’s got us in a first-place tie with the Phillies, even the toughest Atlanta Braves reddit warrior would have a hard time finding something to complain about.
Then, some stuffy room full of corporate types went and did something that instantly turned the franchise into baseball’s biggest punch line.
Suntrust Park will (eventually) be renamed Truist Park.
That’s not a typo. T-R-U-I-S-T, truist.
That’s awful, isn’t it?
BB&T, SunTrust announced name of proposed combined bank on Wednesday — Truist Financial Corp. The name, which will go by Truist Bank at retail, was selected from "thousands of choices" reviewed by bank employees, clients and assistance of global marketing firm Interbrand.
— Richard Craver (@rcraverWSJ) June 12, 2019
Thousands of possibilities? Thousands, you say? Show me the list.
Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) took a straw poll of his followers. Mark me down in the ‘wtf’ category.
The Braves’ home as Truist Park?
— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) June 12, 2019
Within an hour or so, 95% of people selected ‘Hate it’ or joined my own vote.
The world ‘truist’ doesn’t even register in the Merriam-Webster dictionary… but then I suppose that’s intentional on the part of the crack marketing team that came up with this.
Then again, maybe they were on crack at the time.
Basic Language Stuff
So, let’s throw it back to a middle school English lesson. The suffix ‘-ist’ means a person who practices something. For example, a scientist practices science. So, a truist would practice truth, of course.
How this relates to anything besides an opportunity for a corporate bank to build a big sign of their new, terrible name all over the Atlanta metro area is beyond me.
I’d have to hope that when SunTrust and BB&T announced a merger back in Feburary, it wasn’t because of a vision that someone had on the Board of Directors of the newly adorned ‘Truist Park.’
Think of the long table with a dozen or so suited men and women that came up with the name. The smell of coffee. The nicely pressed suits. How long did it take? How much financial flexibility was in that room?
Wait a second, let’s rewind a bit, what would have been better?
Let’s not forget there’s an older gentleman that happens to be a legend, a national treasure, even, in Hank Aaron who’s still a member of the team’s front office.
What an honor that could have been for the 85-year old who was a 25-time all-star and slugged 755 home runs.
According to a report by the AJC, SunTrust Park will keep its name through this season, and potentially the next, so it could potentially be a while before you’re hit with new branding at every corner of The Battery.
Next. Oh, Mikey.... dark
Braves fans, take solace in that fact. The powers that be could still change their minds.