Every once in a while an advertising campaign resonates so soundly that consumers start to feel as though they've lived the signage, the slogan, the TV spots, for a lifetime. So it is with Capital One ...

Capital One’s (COF) $35 billion purchase of Discover (DFS) would create one of the largest US credit card companies and a formidable new rival to American Express (AXP), Visa (V), and Mastercard (MA).