Several weeks ago I was in downtown for a Nine Inch Nails concert. I met a couple of really friendly tourists who travelled cross country from L.A. just to see the band (What can I say, they were devoted fans). Well, after some initial greetings, we proceeded to talk about our respective vacation plans for the next few days. Their initial reponse was to check out the famed Chicago nightlife, quickly followed by “going to the top of the Sears Tower”, as if that was a requisite “closer” for any Chitown trip. At that point, they pointed toward the famous skyline as viewed from nearby The Field Museum, asking me to identify the building for which the famous name is associated.

This sort of naivety probably rings true with many tourists for obvious reasons: The moniker itself, after all, has nationwide notoriety. So Willis Group Holdings got its moment in the limelight. But in time, I suspect that relatively few people will actually remember what the Willis in “Willis Tower” even signifies. And most of those that do care, will continue to view the new name with disdain.

–Randall