CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Map) - CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCAR(R), will rev up the excitement surrounding the 2008 racing season with the debut of the company's first-ever NASCAR-themed television commercial, which celebrates the passion fans have for their favorite drivers and promotes the bank's popular My Expression(R) NASCAR Banking program.

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Created by BBDO New York, the 30 second spot is titled "Who's Your Driver?" and features footage of a number of top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series(TM) drivers whose likenesses are available on NASCAR Banking check cards and credit cards. Dale Earnhardt Jr.,

"Our new commercial creates a solid connection between fans' passion for their favorite driver and our NASCAR Banking suite of products," said Anne Saunders, Brand and Advertising Executive, Bank of America. "NASCAR is a unique part of America, and we're proud to showcase that fan spirit and loyalty in our advertising."

In addition to actual racing footage, the ad features fans demonstrating their passion for their favorite drivers at the racetrack and in their homes. One particular sequence captures a family of NASCAR fans with differing driver loyalties with a living room equally divided with one side supporting Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the other Jeff Gordon.

The new TV ad will begin airing this week in Charlotte, with plans to run in Atlanta and Dallas in conjunction with upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The ad will be complemented by print, radio, online and point-of-sale advertising, and is scheduled to air nationally on the Speed Channel and ESPN/ABC starting in July, running throughout the end of the racing season.

NASCAR Banking is the only nationwide suite of NASCAR and driver-branded check cards, checks and credit cards that are complemented by a unique rewards program. Since first launching the program in May 2007, tens of thousands of race fans have taken advantage of the products that feature a mix of current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers and legends including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, Dario Franchitti, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Paul Menard, Juan Pablo Montoya, Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr., Kenny Wallace, Rusty Wallace and the late Dale Earnhardt.

Fans can sign-up for NASCAR Banking at more than 6,100 Bank of America banking centers, online at www.bankofamerica.com/RacePoints , and at NASCAR-sanctioned events and racetracks.

Bank of America is widely recognized as a major corporate supporter of NASCAR, serving as both the Official Bank of NASCAR and the Official Credit Card Issuer of NASCAR. Bank of America's involvement with racing dates back to the early 1980's, when its legacy banks in Virginia and North Carolina sponsored races and provided financing for motor speedways throughout the United States. Over the last two decades, the company's foray into racing has continued to expand. In 2005, Bank of America announced multi-year sponsorship agreements with International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), for a combined total of 10 track sponsorships and title sponsorship of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. In 2006, Bank of America entered into a multi-year agreement to become the Official Bank of NASCAR.

Visit http://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/index.php?s=press_kit&item=100 to view Bank of America's new NASCAR-themed television commercial.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 59 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, nearly 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 25 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Bank of America N.A. Member FDIC.

www.bankofamerica.com