Superior Bancorp of Birmingham, Ala., takes aim at a newcomer to Alabama, RBC Centura Banks Inc. of Raleigh, in a series of billboard ads being unveiled today in Huntsville.
They feature the phrase " 'Sweet Home Canada' " with Canada struck out and replaced with Alabama. Copy underneath says, ("It didn't sound right to us either.")
The $23.1 billion-asset RBC Centura, a unit of Royal Bank of Canada, is buying 39 Alabama branches formerly owned by AmSouth Bancorp. of Birmingham. The deal is expected to close by March 12.
There have been several large banking deals in Alabama in the past year, including Regions Financial Corp.'s November acquisition of AmSouth. In February, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA announced it was buying Compass Bancshares Inc. of Birmingham.
The $2.4 billion-asset Superior discussed the billboard campaign Thursday during a presentation in Boston hosted by KBW Inc.'s Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. Calls to RBC Centura were not returned by press time.
