Brand Atlanta

[Student]

That's even worse!

[krazeeboi]

Honestly, what was so bad about the old slogan? "Atlanta: Watch the Hills become Filled."

[ironchapman]

Anyone who's curious or perhaps hasn't heard the song yet can find the words to "The A-T-L" in today's Q&A part of the Metro Section.

[UrbanAtl]

It's all about the 'O' I've seen this before. I mean! Is Target pissed or Overstock.com even slightly irritated? I love Atlanta but wish we could stop trying to add up to others and just do our own thing. What makes Paris great is that it's Paris and NOT London. Atlanta my be the land of Opportunity, Optimism and Openness but by making ourselves so marketable we put ourselves where we have always been stuck, generic, a city without a culture.

A Save Auburn Avenue Hip Hop Concert with Dallas Austin, Usher, Chilli, T-Boz, Crish/Kross, India Arie, Big Boi, Andre 3000, Whitney & Bobby, and who ever else has lived here and had a Hit would help promote the city in the same way but with the added feature of NOT ignoring that we have all this talent on the radio living in our city... or atleast having something to do with our city.

Very dissapointed in the Brand ATLanta campaign. Very proud of our city in all other regards.

[Newnan_Eric]

I saw the Brand Atlanta TV commercial a few times over the weekend. It has Samuel L. Jackson doind the voice-over and features the ascending hook from Dallas Austins song. At the end is their tag line, "In Atlanta, every day is an opening day."

All in all it's pretty well done. I actually liked it. I guess you could say that it was "well executed" or that "It is greater than the sum of its parts."

[ironchapman]

The logo (the hurricane symbol-like thing) has grown on me. It doesn't look that bad, especially after looking at the logos of other cities across the nation.

The only thing about this campaign I still have a problem with is the song. I think that, despite our hip-hop, rap, and R&B heritage, something like "New York, New York", "My Kind of Town (Chicago is)", or "Viva Las Vegas" fitted to Atlanta and its style and customs would sound much better.

If only Sinatra was still alive....................

[teshadoh]

^ If Sinatra was still alive they would have rolled him into studio with Nelly. He was practically doing that in the 80's with his series of albums with rock pop stars.

[krazeeboi]

Frank Sinatra and Nelly

[Lady Celeste]

^ If Sinatra was still alive they would have rolled him into studio with Nelly. He was practically doing that in the 80's with his series of albums with rock pop stars.

You are too funny. I am imagining them actually rolling him in a wheelchair into a studio. Teshadoh thanks for the images.....I actually laughed out loud.

[ironchapman]

^ If Sinatra was still alive they would have rolled him into studio with Nelly. He was practically doing that in the 80's with his series of albums with rock pop stars.

Though I understand that is sarcasm, perhaps I should clarify what I meant when I said "If only Sinatra was still alive".

I was thinking more along the lines of his style of song. I was hoping to get a song classier and better written than most of the ones we hear today.

[Martinman]

I think a lot of people took it all a little too seriously. Its a crappy little jingle meant to help promote the city to tourists and conventions. Clearly it won't be indentified with the city for all of time.

In a way though this one is Shirleys fault. She asked for a young hip song and Dallas Austin really is more of a pop producer than anything else (TLC, Madonna, Gwen Stefani)

[ironchapman]

I think a lot of people took it all a little too seriously. Its a crappy little jingle meant to help promote the city to tourists and conventions. Clearly it won't be indentified with the city for all of time.

In a way though this one is Shirleys fault. She asked for a young hip song and Dallas Austin really is more of a pop producer than anything else (TLC, Madonna, Gwen Stefani)

You're right. The main difference I find between "The ATL" and some of the songs I mentioned before ("New York, New York", "My Kind of Town", etc.) is that those weren't written at the request of the city so that it could have a nice little theme song but instead were written for other purposes like movies or just to express the writer/singer's feelings for the town. They weren't written with the intent of being a city song but rather just to be a song about a city.

[Andrea]

I think a lot of people took it all a little too seriously. Its a crappy little jingle meant to help promote the city to tourists and conventions. Clearly it won't be indentified with the city for all of time.

The only site I could find requires you to *pay* to download this song. What kind of promotion is that?

I kind of like "Oh, Atlanta" by Alison Krauss, or "Doraville" by the ARS. Or maybe something by Colonel Bruce.

[krazeeboi]

Kind of like you guy's official state anthem, originally written about an actual woman named Georgia.

[Student]

Ever thought of Downloading Filesharing programs like Limewire or WinMX? You download free, just from another's computer.

[ironchapman]

As a response to the less-than-positive feelings of many about the song, the city has decided to release a bluesy version of the song.

AJC Article

I'm not too much a fan of the song, but I do respect and appreciate the fact that Dallas Austin put so much of his time into creating it.

The rest of the symbols (i.e. the logo and slogan) aren't too bad, IMO. I've actually grown to like the logo even!

[Lady Celeste]

I think some people have way to much time on their hands....and too few real things to be concerned with.

I have not listened to the song. First of all I feel my opinion really doesn't matter as I'm not a resident of Atlanta proper. The area in which I live did not commission the branding or the song so who gives a rat's a** what I feel about it. In saying that, I feel that if all metro Atlanta constituents want a song that represents all of Atlanta then why not push Gov Sonny Perdue to offer help to Marta or to spearhead a metro wide public transit system. In the grand scheme of things, my husband's business will grow with or without the song, my children will be educated properly with or without the song, my property taxes will rise with or without the song. See, I guess I have other real issues to worry about. I just don't get what is with all the hoopla about some song that I have yet to hear......because I'm too busy worrying about real issues.

That rant aside, I'm glad that they are coming out with other versions.....this way people will shut the heck up about it already. If I was Atlanta I would send a bill to each and every noncitizen who had something negative to say about it. You want to offer your opinion about it, well put your money where your mouth is.

Okay, I'm truly through with my rant now. The holiday season can really stress you out.

[Martinman]

I think the entire campaign is overall pretty good. We don't have any natural features here that define the region but there I think there is a sort of youthful optimism that permeates this area. I mean we just got news about base closings and the closure of a large manufacturing plant and the talk is not about the negative impact the lost jobs will have but immediately turns to the opportunity to redevelop the land build more Atlantic stations and the potential to create more jobs and a better environment.

The slogan itself I think is fine as one intended to attract tourists and conventions but as THE slogan for Atlanta.....not so much.

[ryanmckibben]

I think the entire campaign is overall pretty good. We don't have any natural features here that define the region but there I think there is a sort of youthful optimism that permeates this area. I mean we just got news about base closings and the closure of a large manufacturing plant and the talk is not about the negative impact the lost jobs will have but immediately turns to the opportunity to redevelop the land build more Atlantic stations and the potential to create more jobs and a better environment.

The slogan itself I think is fine as one intended to attract tourists and conventions but as THE slogan for Atlanta.....not so much.

If I hear one more bone-headed politico talk about the next Atlantic Station, I think I'll puke.

[ironchapman]

Did anyone see the [brand] Atlanta Super Bowl commercial?

It looked pretty nice. It spotlighted the Clark Atlanta University Band marching and performing on a football field along with several other local icons (the only other one I could recognise was someone who appeared to be playing a bass from the ASO).

[Designerbee]

Did anyone see the [brand] Atlanta Super Bowl commercial?

It looked pretty nice. It spotlighted the Clark Atlanta University Band marching and performing on a football field along with several other local icons (the only other one I could recognise was someone who appeared to be playing a bass from the ASO).

The Brand Atlanta commercial was actually inserted locally so only people in the region saw it. I don't really understand what the point of that is. Why would you need to advertise to people who are already here?

http://www.ajc.com/today/content/epaper/ed...4740d00014.html

Brand Atlanta plans Super ad

"The city of Atlanta will promote itself during the Super Bowl, at least locally. Brand Atlanta, the city's advertising arm, said Wednesday it has paid an undisclosed amount to run a 30-second spot when the nation's biggest sporting event switches from national to local commercials, possibly during the first quarter. The Super Bowl will air on WSB-TV at 6 p.m. Sunday. While far shy of the 90 million viewers expected nationally, the local spot could be seen by up to 1.35 million metro Atlantans, said Bill Reihl, executive vice president of Ogilvy PR, which is working with Brand Atlanta on the campaign."

[ryanmckibben]

The thinking was to get the citizens of Atlanta on board. No amount of money spent by Brand Atlanta could generate the amount of buzz that 5 million residents talking about Atlanta when they travel will.

The one thing the residents of Atlanta have always been good at is self promotion.

Now everybody go out there and spread the word!!!

[Southernyank]

Brand At-What Now?

[Designerbee]

Brand At-What Now?

http://atlopen.com/

Its a campaign to promote Atlanta.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I'm not too much a fan of the song, but I do respect and appreciate the fact that Dallas Austin put so much of his time into creating it.

I know I'm way late on this but IC, you just reminded me of something that made me crack up.

"Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music that he's created over the years - I don't really listen to it. But the fact that he's making it, I respect that."

Ironchapman.. our very own Hansel!