Wells Fargo launching brand in Charlotte

Wells Fargo & Co. has converted its N.C. branches and bank accounts, one of the last steps in the largest bank merger in U.S. history. Now, Wells hopes a series of celebrations will drive brand recognition in the former Wachovia's headquarters city.

The San Francisco-based bank is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its uptown branch Thursday afternoon, complete with remarks from bank leaders and a check presentation to a local charity.

Afterward, Wells Fargo is giving employees and reporters a "sneak peek" of its new history museum. The 6,000-square-foot space in Three Wells Fargo Center, which includes a recreated bank office based on the first Wachovia Bank in Winston-Salem, opens Oct. 29.

The same day, Wells Fargo hosts a Community Celebration, open to the public, that features free admission to uptown museums, live art demonstrations and an outdoor concert.

Wells Fargo bought ailing Wachovia at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 and slowly converted its branches and accounts across the country. About 320 banking locations and 650 ATMs in North Carolina traded their familiar blue-and-green Wachovia signs for red-and-yellow Wells logos on Saturday and Monday.

Wells has been trying to make a name for itself in Charlotte long before the final switch: Besides rebranding its Charlotte offices, advertisements and sponsorships, it has stepped up charitable giving. The bank donates about $7 million a year in the Charlotte area, up from the average $5 million Wachovia gave annually, officials said.