Metrowhatteral?

Ok, so if you’re in Seattle, you’ve probably heard the hubub about our new slogan.

I mean, heck, it was all over the papers.

And they painted it in 18 foot high letters on the top of the Space Needle.

And are spending something like 200 grand to promote it in an attempt to pump up tourism before the Winter Olympics hit Vancouver in 2010.

Of course it’s not really a slogan.

It’s a word.

A made up word.

A word that goes “Metronatural.”

A word that makes all my friends–most of whom are normal Seattlites who spend not one minute of their day thinking about branding and marketing–twist up their faces a bit and go “huzzuwuzzahuh?”

Or, worse yet, laugh.

They go like this. They go “Ha. Ha. Ha. Well, at least it’s better than ‘Say Wa.’”

And then they toss back a beer and a snicker and go on with their lives.

While I sit there and stew a bit with my thinking cap on.

So here’s the big question: As a brand building exercise–as an attempt to change the way the world thinks about Seattle–does “Metronatural” work?

Is this “bold new brand” going to rocket Seattle to untold heights of touristy goodness and forever wipe the scar of grunge from the face of our fair city?

Or is it going to go down in history as just another example of the folley of the ad world? A bumpy footnote that draws stifled giggles and head slaps from Seattlites for decades to come?

Because, honestly, the core strategy behind “Metronatural” is solid. Seattle really is a city where Urban meets Wild and Metro meets Natural. (Personally, I think they would have been better off just saying “Seattle: Where Urban Meets Wild.” It’s not perfect, but it’s got some legs and is a bit cheeky.)

But unfortunately the agency (which is full of good and smart people with good and smart ideas) got too cute and clever for their own good.

Or worse yet, they listened when the client said “ohh, I like that.”

And now us poor Seattlites have to pay the price for at least four years as ad after ad and promotion after promotion tell us that we are, in fact, Metronatural.

Which is kind of funny for a city with such a poor public transit system.

Maybe it just means we should all stop shaving.

Sigh.

Branding is dangerous. You should have to get a license to do it.

Comments

About Author