This weekend, as the respirator plug is pulled on Marshall Field's once and for all, Federated will finally get to see how well their big advertising push to lure old Field's customers to the new "Macy's on State Street" has worked. My guess is not very. One look at the campaign's commercials and printed ads easily shows why: where's Chicago?

Seeking to quell the citywide consternation it caused last year by announcing the impending death of the Field's nameplate, Federated embarked on the current marketing push as a way to win over public opinion. But if they truly want public opinion in their favor, their ads should have local flavor--and they don't. Federated's new ads are peppered with generic phrases like "Welcome to your new Macy's" and "It's a celebration across the nation", and iconic images drawn from across the country. Sure, some ads feature the silhouette of the Sears Tower. But why on earth is it standing between the Empire State Building and the St. Louis Arch?

If there's one best practice in public relations it's that you should speak directly to your target audience. By casting a nationwide net with this most generic of generic ad campaigns, how on earth can Federated expect the effort will garner much loyalty from former Field's fans? Where are the phrases like "We love Chicago"? "We're proud to be on State Street?" Where are the fliers with panoramic shots of--exclusively--the Chicago skyline? Frankly, where is there evidence that this ad campaign was created with any local sense at all? Target Corp.'s ads were full of local flavor when they bought Field's in the 1990s. Where is the same respect from the Federated camp?

Don't get me wrong, my criticism doesn't stem from sour grapes over a name change. I hate to see the Marshall Field's nameplate go, but I've said before that without Federated Field's wouldn't have stood a chance. However, if you want my business in my town, it's best to show that you know and respect my town.

I get part of the point of the national ads: I may travel across the country from time to time, and it's always nice to see familiar retail faces in far-flung places. But if Federated really wants Chicagoan dollars, they need to locally can this milktoast ad campaign. Give it up Federated, time to tell me what you can do for me...in Chicago.

And this time, please get the street names right.

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(Read the Sun-Times review of the lackluster ad campaign here.)