Minnesota Vikings win sign battle with Wells Fargo
By Adam Carlson
Banking giant Wells Fargo has been in a legal battle with the Minnesota Vikings regarding rooftop signs, but that battle came to an abrupt end recently.
When the Minnesota Vikings went into planning U.S. Bank Stadium, they were very careful to notice the surrounding areas. In fact, the team made deals with other businesses, such as Wells Fargo, to make sure that their advertising wouldn’t take away from the new stadium’s appeal.
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However, when Wells Fargo put up illuminated signs which were elevated from the rooftop, that was a problem. Unable to come to a compromise on the situation, the courts got involved. Recently a decision was made by a judge on the issue…and it was one that Wells Fargo isn’t going to like.
The judge made the ruling that Wells Fargo will need to remove the sign from their building. While the Vikings are vocally happy about the decision according to an article on the ESPN website, Wells Fargo is currently declining comment to the media giant on the issue.
It’s easy to understand why Wells Fargo is upset. Their two massive 17-story towers in Minneapolis were hoping to be more noticeable with the signs, which cost nearly half a million dollars to install.
To some, this may seem like a tacky case. While the signs may not be a distraction on a daily basis, there are some instances where Wells Fargo’s large advertisement could be a “photo bomb” as the Vikings put it. ESPN talked about specific situations where the Wells Fargo sign could be in issue:
"“During prime-time games and national events, blimp shots from overhead the stadium would be cluttered by the Wells Fargo logos, the Vikings argued.”"
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While this is considered a win for the Minnesota Vikings, it’s a loss for nearly everyone involved. When the courts have to get involved in issues like this, it usually doesn’t end well and it typically means that there could be resentment between the two parties. Hopefully, there are no hard feelings from Wells Fargo about having to take down the sign in question.