Whilst most cities have a symbol as well as
a set of imagery and feelings associated with them, Buenos Aires takes the idea
of a ‘city brand’ to a different level. Anything and everything that is
sponsored or linked to the council is BA branded in contemporary and vibrant
green-yellow design. From rubbish bins, to jazz festivals, to [their version of
‘Boris/’‘Barclays’] bikes and roadwork signs, living here means interacting
with the BA brand every day.
This is a far cry from glitzy ‘destination’
branding normally targeted at tourists. The informal, straightforward tone of
voice and versatile design are instead used to communicate with and engage the
city’s inhabitants in an accessible, fun and helpful way. According to locals,
this coherent and wide-reaching public sector brand owes to the private sector
background of the city’s mayor Mauricio Macri (himself with a swanky interactive website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
After the spectacular, albeit wet, 2012 no
one would argue that Londoners lack urban pride. Moreover, being much older than Buenos Aires, London already has
some iconic brands such as TFL, Harrods and Tate to say nothing of the Olympics.
This eclectic list is much like London itself – a highly diverse mosaic of
communities, styles, interests and attitudes.
The city’s institutional attempts to brand
governmental offices, schemes and departments is a whole different story. Mind-numbingly
dull and unmemorable, these ‘brands’ would make the most politically dedicated
marketer think twice about entering the public sector. No wonder the brand for London question has already been raised, discussed and abandoned a few years back. It seems impossible to please such a huge range of different
stakeholders.
Yet there is an advantage to doing it the Buenos
Aires way. It helps the inhabitants see their city not just as a nuisance that
collects council tax and creates jams through road works, but also as the
provider of fun and support to which they have responsibilities. I suspect that
if the tangible benefits Londoners get from the council were stamped as being
such, we might be less complacent about all the ongoing improvements and
appreciate how lucky we are to be living in such a great city.
