Personal "a" with collective nouns

Question

Would you, could you and should you use the personal "a" in the following sentences?

The White House invited the Kremlin to talks today. Apple killed Microsoft in the telephone market. Did you want to call my firm when you get home? The prisoner defied the crown to prosecute the case. Don't insult my office with such a petty offer.

In each of these, it's actually people doing people, but we phrase them in abstract concepts that REPRESENT the people. In the last example, if instead of "la corona" it were "la reina" it would certainly call for a personal "a." In the first example, if instead of "the Kremlin" it was "premier Putin" it would call for a personal "a."

Thanks for your help. I do appreciate it.

Answer 1

I'd say:

• La Casa Blanca invitó al Kremlin a dialogar hoy.
• Apple mató a Microsoft en el mercado de celulares. (Proper names usually take the personal a)
• ¿Quieres llamar a mi empresa cuando llegues? I think llamar (as in calling on the phone) always takes "a", but I do not think it's a personal a. It's the indirect object preposition "to".

Llamar al ministerio

Llamar a la escuela

Llamar a los bomberos