"Metronatural" is Seattle's new tourism "brand"

[flamingyouth]

Well, I guess it's better than the unmitigated disaster that was "Say WA."

In fact, officials plan to announce today a new marketing campaign that will serve as Seattle's image to the world, bureau President and Chief Executive Don Welsh said Thursday. It took about a year to develop and cost $200,000, he said.

The bureau will spend $300,000 promoting the brand, which includes a newly invented word -- "metronatural" -- and the concept of a metropolis juxtaposed against natural beauty, Welsh said.

The trademarked word will replace the current logo designed in 1999, which features an eyeball, the @ symbol and the letter L. (See-@-L.)

In the gray months, Portlanders and Vancouverites stay overnight to see the opera, cheer on some football and holiday shop. But even those vacationers aren't enough to close the seasonal tourism gap.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/289407_tourism20.html

Letters 18 feet tall spell out Seattle's new tourism slogan -- "metronatural" -- atop the Space Needle. The new tagline, a trademarked term, is meant to evoke the concept of a metropolis juxtaposed against natural beauty.

[kskiska]

1. I like Asheville, NC's T-shirt motto

Asheville – Where Weird is Normal

[Quantess]

2. Okay, the first thing that comes to mind is

metrosexual

[flamingyouth]

3. Yeah, that's what came to my mind too.

[Ken Burch]

20. Yeah. What does "metronatural " MEAN, anyway?

Will they be pouring millions of gallons of styling mousse on the Alaskan Way Viaduct?

dabbing cologne on Hammering Man?

Giving Ballard a makeover?

[Fenris]

4. Yep, that's the one.

What an awful, awful slogan.

[SeattleVet]

5. Metronatural???

Say WA?

:spray:

[flamingyouth]

8. Hey, it only took them a year and $200,000!

:D

[Quantess]

11. $200,000? Yikes!

Dear Seattle: for future reference, consider having a contest. 1st prize $10,000 for the best slogan.
That will save the city $190,000 and make one witty Seattleite very happy.
And surely you won't do any worse than metrosexual --oh whoops, I meant metronatural.

[Norrin Radd]

6. "Urban Garden" would be better.

Or, "Verdant Metropolis." Or, "Becoming Overrun with Yuppies."

[flamingyouth]

7. LOL - I like the last one

Sub headed, "send help immediately."

[Norrin Radd]

12. "immediately...especially to Fremont." n/t

[flamingyouth]

13. No shit!

[tavalon]

35. Or Just Starbuck's City n/t

[janetle]

9. It's just dumb.

I mean, we are just us. We don't pretend to be anything or anybody.

[Fenris]

10. "Seattle - If you love puzzles, you'll love our street layout!"

[eridani]

18. When you have two people doing it at the same time--

--and disagreeing with each other, that's what you get. Be grateful it ain't Boston, whose street plan was developed by cows in the 17th century. At least the drivers are mostly sane, and there are street signs on every corner pointing in the right direction.

Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest.

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. wtf???

:rofl:

Only thing I can say.....

[eridani]

22. Andy never mentioned this?

"Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest" is your guide to dowtown Seattle streets starting from Pioneer Square heading north.

Jefferson
James
Cherry
Columbia
Madison
Marion
Spring
Seneca
University
Union
Pike
Pine

[fortyfeetunder]

15. Should have gone back to "The Emerald City"

Can't believe this is all they came up with for $200G!

[frebrd]

16. Why does Seattle need a slogan?

The tourists will never notice it. It'll just annoy the hell of the natives. And yes, the first thing I thought of was "metrosexual" too.

LOL!

[upi402]

17. $200,000 dumasses -better slogan

gawd i wanted to vomit cotton candy syrup when i heard that!

[progressivebydesign]

19. My slogan was long.. but..... I think you'll like it!!!

"COME SEE SEATTLE BEFORE ALL OF THE NEW MONSTROUSLY TALL CONDOS EAT UP THE BEAUTIFUL SKYLINE AND SCREW ANY CHANCE YOU HAD OF SEEING THE PUGET SOUND".

Guess they just couldn't fit all of that onto the Space Needle. oh well...

[Norrin Radd]

25. All these condos and rentals turned condos have really clunky,

pretentious names, as well.

[Ken Burch]

21. I'd have gone with

"Seattle...Gateway to Bellingham".

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

23. Hmmmm

if I had to have a slogan for the slogan, I'd say, "Waste of money"

[maxsolomon]

24. o, just relax

its didn't cost 200K by itself.

you'll barely notice it.

[flamingyouth]

26. ROFL at this guy's letter to the Times about it:

Green as ever

And the geology's clever

After a very expensive gestation, "SayWa" has proven to be the ultimate "lead balloon." Now a committee of 60 people has succeeded in introducing the ultimate verbal camel — "Metronatural" <"Metronatural. Say wa?" Business & Technology, Oct. 21>.

In the immortal words of Lloyd Bridges in the movie "Airplane!" "I sure picked a heck of a week to stop sniffing glue!"

Next time anyone feels the need for a slogan, let's just hire a box of rocks.

— Jeffrey Howard, Redmond

[FVZA_Colonel]

29. Oh, I loved that one.

I actually clipped it from the paper and put in a drawer in my dorm room.

[AlienGirl]

27. Seattle doesn't need a "brand"!

Seattle is its own brand, or should be, or used to be. Though ever since the Jello mold building got torn down, something's missing...

What Seattle needs more than anything is some all-night coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores other than big chains, and laundromats. It seems like everything in the city that isn't a bar or a screamingly loud nightclub closes down at 8:00pm (6 on Sundays).

Tucker

[countryjake]

28. What? Beth's closed down?

[tavalon]

37. Relax

Beths is still open. It's the only place that's open all night though.

[geniph]

30. "Seattle - because Twisp is too hard to pronounce"

Christ, what is with this fad for city slogans lately? Auburn spent a fortune - which they don't have - to come up with "More than you ever imagined" and Renton spent a fortune - which they also don't have - to come up with "Ahead of the Curve." Why the hell don't they just hold a contest for schoolkids to come up with these, instead of paying media consultants hundreds of thousands of dollars to come up with the metropolitan equivalent of Pepsi's Brown and Bubbly slogan (which always reminds me of some sort of embarrassing anal leakage).

[philosophie_en_rose]

31. Metronatural? Is that the cosmetics section of Trader Joe's?

:shrug:

[babydollhead]

32. any ideas for fun in seattle

we're taking a trip from Pittsburgh at the end of November

[eridani]

33. Not the best time to visit Seattle

It will most likely be raining, a lot. However, lots of indoor museums and galleries, and a lot of Pike Place Market is sheltered. For 8 months out of the year, if you avoid doing something because it might rain, you won't be doing much.

[MrCoffee]

34. lame lame lame lame lame

my aunt in houston called me up to laugh at it.

at least it's getting press. sheesh.

[tavalon]

36. My partner had a much better slogan

Long Version: Seattle, It's Almost Canada!

Short Version: Almost Canada