A Look at the Country's Worst Municipal Branding Campaigns

Grist has asked its readers to help it compile some of the country's "most craptastic urban rebranding efforts ever." And boy have they delivered.

1 minute read

March 12, 2012, 8:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


As a recent post on Planetizen demonstrated, Cleveland has its share of branding campaigns that make you wonder just how anyone ever thought they were a good idea. Alas, Cleveland is not alone in this regard, as a new piece by Greg Hanscom aptly exhibits.

"It's no wonder Americans have been high-tailing it for the 'burbs for decades: Cities seem to never fail to find fresh ways to look like doofuses," writes Hanscom. Campaigns referenced in the article from Buffalo, Baltimore, and the declared winner of Flora, Illinois, prove that "this country is CHOCK FULL of marketing consultants who don't have the foggiest clue what they're doing."

Saturday, March 10, 2012 in Grist

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