Deconstructing Pittsburgh's New Slogan (Seriously This Time)

So maybe that last post about Pittsburgh's new $3 million slogan was a bit, er... caustic? So allow me to take a minute to consider it on its merits. Here it is:

Pittsburgh. Imagine what you can do here

Where to begin? OK. How about the beginning.

The reason we had to invest all that money in the new slogan is, apparently, because people just don't understand how great Pittsburgh is. Even after Renaissance I and Renaissance II and all the rest of it, we have an "image problem."

As I understand it, that image problem resides in the fact that people still consider Pittsburgh a hellish industrial cauldron of smoke and steel and burning flesh.

Or they consider it a smoldering post-industrial wasteland of old ideas and angry unemployed men drunk on whiskey and bitterness.

So everyone gets Pittsburgh wrong. Whether that is accurate or not, you can see why people who believe it might seek a remedy. Even if it costs $3 million. Fair enough. I mean, how can you rejuvenate Pittsburgh if everyone on the planet is operating on this equation:

Pittsburgh=Economic, Cultural and Industrial Fartsack

You can't. Right. So, change the image. How? By telling people they are wrong? By showing them exactly what we have changed for the better?

Uh... no. In fact, we aren't doing anything of the sort. Take a look at the slogan. What it actually does is invite people to revel in their misconceptions. That is, do a bit of algebra. If, in fact, everyone believes that:

Pittsburgh=Economic, Cultural and Industrial Fartsack

Then substitution allows us to recast the slogan as:

Economic, Cultural and Industrial Fartsack: Imagine What You Can Do Here

Well, people will imagine what they can do in a fartsack. And they won't like the options, will they?

That is, you can ask people to imagine what they might do in Shangri-La. You can ask them to imagine what they might do at the beach. In a mountain resort. In a Land of Opportunity. But don't ever ask people to imagine something if you think they might imagine something bad.

And the whole reason that we needed to spend $3 million is because people imagine Pittsburgh as a bad place, right? Or not nearly as good as it is? So why ask people to imagine what they might do in place that they apparently think sucks? Wouldn't a better strategy be to tell them why they are wrong about the place being crappy?

Honestly, I don't know if a slogan is the best way to do that. In fact, I doubt that it is. But if you are going to spend $3 million on a slogan...

Seriously. Let's say you wanted to spend $3 million to convince young males to, say, go to the opera. Would it be effective to put a big ad in a strip club saying:

The Opera: Imagine What it Would be Like to Be There Now

They would imagine it. And they would think, "God, I imagine that being at the opera would be awful."

This is an extreme example, of course. But I hope you get my point. If your whole premise is that people think your city sucks, maybe it's not a good idea to invite them to consider the things they can and can't do there. You know... because they think it sucks.

And of course, if they don't think it sucks, why spend the $3 million?

And to be honest, I think that people are way beyond the whole "hell with the lid taken off" image of Pittsburgh. To the extent that serious people think about it at all, they probably envision a struggling Rust Belt city on the decline. Which is, uh... true. And I think it is probably pretty easy for those who do a little looking to find the things we have working in our favor. Image-wise, the Steelers are usually good enough to play in a few prime-time national games every year. Games that feature the inevitable discussions about what a clean place it is, blah, blah, blah. Gritty people at the confluence blah, blah, blah. Renaissance... Rebirth... You get the picture.

People get it, already.

And let's be honest. People are not deciding not to move here because they think the steel mills are all still humming and pouring smoke into the skies. If they thought that they would be moving here and looking for union jobs paying $28 an hour.

No. They are not moving here because they think there are not any jobs at all. In steel mills or otherwise. And the census numbers seem to support that notion.

That's not an image problem.

That's a problem.

Sure, there is some good stuff going on here. I just don't see how the slogan helps. Especially since the whole campaign assumes that people don't have a clue what Pittsburgh is really about, then asks them to imagine being there. Strange, no? 

I guess that was pretty caustic, too. So I guess I might as well finish it off with my final suggestion for a revised slogan:

Pittsburgh: It Ain't No Fartsack. Promise.

Comments

[Mark Rauterkus]

Right on about the psychology of the slogan and such.

As a parent, you don't tell your child, "Don't spill the milk." That only puts an image into the kid's mind of doing just what you asked to avoid.

Display ads are generally worthless to begin with. They are image builders. So, we've got an image builder that might as well say... Pittsburgh, Not NYC nor Philly.

[sean mcdaniel]

display ads are generally worthless...they are image builders....says Mark Rauterkus.

before i make a point...yes, i know that sam is a sincere blogger...but does he need that cute little graphic up in the top right hand corner to present the image of himself that he wants to convey? aren't his words enough? (actually, i'd settle for just the photo sometimes.)

and on rauterkus.com i see a photo that seems to imply that the owner of the site is a family man, with all the values that conveys. but i guess that is okay.

as for the psychology of slogans...does "freedom is not free" fall outside that discussion? what about a campaign slug such as pittsburgh's strengths...pittsburgh's promise. just more empty words?

or is it once again the case of slogans and image building are good for some but not for others?

at progresspittsburgh.com it says...Rauterkus called himself a "free market Republican" and an "urban Republican" -- not a "typical corporate-welfare Republican."

so that's not image building? okay, so he didn't say "vote me me...i'm not elsie hillman"

but come on mark, you don't think about your image, and even shape it with photos and slogans and catch phrases?

but then again, i must be missing the point.

[Mark Rauterkus]

PR is one thing. A display ad is another. I knock and discount 'display ads.'

I do have an 'image' as most do as well. But I have an image of actions, of deeds, of many words.

I didn't take out billboard ads or 4-color postcards showing me an a rented family, as others have done. Rather I'll work to host a 'fatherhood forum' or something with more substance. Heck, I didn't even use "lawn signs."

Nor did I win. But, I gave out CDs with music, message, open source software.

Pittsburgh promotions are fine -- if they are not trite nor simple to the point of being stuipid, and done with prudence.

Keep the discussion within the realm of what the topic area -- apples vs. apples -- and then I hope it makes more sense.

[sean mcdaniel]

nope, just more of the same rationalizing. posing with your kids puts you in the same league as rick santorum, except you have to do it on a homemade web site and he does it with professional TV spots.

as for your quoting "freedom is not free" that was trite the second time rush limbaugh uttered it. and the pittsburgh's strengths...pittsburgh's promise...please tell me why this isn't just as valid...cleveland's strengths....clevelands promise...or dayton's strength...dayton's promise...or newark's strengths...newark's promise...geez, i hope you get the point. and please don't cry in your spilt milk. as i've said before, people who live in glass houses shouldn't walk around naked.

[Mark Rauterkus]

Thanks for the advice. Now please pass the Windex.

[sean mcdaniel]

ouch. i've seen the online pic...i'll put on the blindfold.

put seriously...why isn't pittsburgh interchangeable with any other rust belt city you might put in your campaign slogan. the beauty of your slogan is that you can go on the road with it, run for office in other cities with the slogan...you may hit the right note elsewhere.

as i said, you're avoiding the issue.

[Mark Rauterkus]

You'll put on the blindfold? You must mean another blindfold.

In a sense, the slogan, "Pittsburgh, Imagine what you can do here." -- COULD be something for any other city, region or state. It would work for Pittsburgh as poorly as it would work for those other places, unless we were talking about Peter Pan's Neverland.

[charcoalsienna]

have to agree w/ the first post by permalink -
we are seriously considering moving to pgh. i was born there (76) and know the city. we are actively searching for reasons to move there. we WANT to be convinced. i know the city is not still black from smoke. i remember the black stone church i always saw as a kid - its light tan now. the steel mill we always passed on the parkway, replaced w/ name brand architecture. those of us who know the city, and COULD be easily convinced to move there, we know the good and bad. and yet, we are still considering moving there, which means its all down to one thing - the job outlook. we know the arts and cultural scene. the beautiful geography. the sports scene. the sucky weather. woops, lets focus on the positive. we lived in denver for 5 years. sunny all the time. i missed those eastern storms that brew for hours. pittsburgh has 4 seasons. denver only has 2. good universities. i remember this city being a top competitor - as far as the symphony, art scene, universities. still true? like permalink said. all you have to tell me is that your number one problems are under progress. do THAT in the slogan. jobs, racial tension and segregation, youth exodus. and, most importantly, DO NOT give up the things that are actually working for you. casinos? bad move. very bad move.
on that note, can someone convince my husand, myself and our 2 dogs to move to PGH? we are architects. and, now in grand rapids michigan, we need the next move to be a good one (semi-permanent.) thanks.

ps - your slogan is really not bad. its just not good. grand rapids slogan, well, i'll let you decide. It is "Grand Rapids: Keep it a Secret." i'm sorry. it conjures up laughter for me, which i dont think is the intended response.