Open Letter to MB Financial

Dear folks at MB Financial Bank,

I was just listening to the radio and your advertisement came on. What started out as a typical radio spot, which means boring, there was a guy talking about starting a business... not something I really concentrated on... putting money in your bank, and then for some reason, and really, for no reason that I can come up with, they played the worst song in the history of all pop music.

I'm not really sure why or how "We Built This City" by Jefferson Starship has anything to do with financial planning or banking, especially with your institution. If anything, if I hear the word 'City' and banking, I'll think of your competitor Citi or maybe National City Bank. So, just off the bat, putting that particular song was already making me think of another couple of banks. Not yours.

The song you're using is from the album, Knee Deep in the Hoopla was released in October 1985 and was one of the two #1 hits from this record. The first was "We Built This City," the second was "Sara". I am still puzzled about how this record really had anything to do with MB Financial, or the original problem with the song, which was how they actually built anything with 'Rock and Roll.' I also don't understand why a banking institution would even consider this song? And if you really get into it, it's ironically about an evil corporation from the future that's trying to silence a band from playing. It has more do do with why Jefferson Airplane became Starship and then Jefferson Starship. The parts about money are not flattering.


But even more curious is choosing this song that speaks so disparagingly of corporations, and those that change names constantly? I mean, you're in the banking industry. Not exactly the world of stability it once was. And in the current climate, even more despised than pretty much every other industry out there. Okay, not BP, but pretty damn close.

Here's my point:
"Someone always playing corporation games
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page."

and then later...
Who counts the money, underneath the bar
Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Looking for America, crawling through your schools

Why would a BANK use this song?

Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf, originally recorded the song when the group, which again, was related to Jefferson Airplane, was simply called Starship. They released the song you chose to have in your advertisement as the debut single on August 30, 1985. The lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, best known for his longtime collaboration with Elton John. It was his first hit without Sir. Elton.

The song features Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick on lead vocals. Yeah, White Rabbit Grace Slick. I know! Well, according to Grace, the song was written about early-1970s Los Angeles. The radio station in a late interlude references "The City By the Bay", "The City That Rocks" and "The City That Never Sleeps", meaning San Francisco, Cleveland, and New York City.

And although the single hit number one in November 16th on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985... you should also take note that in 2004, Blender magazine listed this song as "the #1 Worst Song Ever." Which, again, makes me wonder, why would you use this song in your advertisement? By default, you've now made your radio spot the #1 Worst Radio Spot Ever.

To be fair, the song had to qualify. The songs on the list had to be a popular hit at some point, thus disqualifying many songs that would by general consensus be considered much worse. Blender editor Craig Marks said of the song, "It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s."

Yes, the music industry is and always has been commercial — but this song is like an emblem of everything that is wrong with corporate Rock, and the establishment that puked this up for consumption… and woe, they bought it. And considering that this was from Grace Slick - it symbolized, and may have even been the anthem of the end of hope for the Baby Boomers. They, after all, built this city on rock and roll. Don't you remember? And the great irony is that it's trying to be anti-corporate.

The song also has a hook, that once heard, is stuck in the listener's head - which beats over and over and is one of those terrible nightmare songs that are absolutely impossible to get out of your head. Why would you subject that kind of torture, yes torture upon potential customers? I'd like to hear this song played on the Gitmo soundtrack... not when I'm trying to catch up on traffic and weather!

Now I've written this letter more as an FYI. Just in the odd chance that your marketing team is all under the age of 20 and don't understand what that song is -- hell, I don't know what that song is -- or, simply, just how terrible that ad is. It's everything that's wrong with corporate rock, the Baby Boomers, Cities, and uh, rock and roll? You know what, watch this...

Do you get it now? Do you see? Why, why in the name of good peer reviewed science would you do this?

Surely you understand that I cannot and never will do business with you. Not even if I were ever to build a city with rock and roll. You remember when....

Say you don't know me, or recognize my face
Say you don't care who goes to that kind of place
Knee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fight
Too many runaways eating up the night

Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city
We built this city on rock and roll!