Death to slogans!

Say it with me: Death to slogans! At least to those empty, one way, marketing slogans that attempt to change the way I feel about something I already own. That last bit doesn't sound so good when you shout it, but you get the idea. Interesting article by Al Ries in AdAge.com, talking about how the city of Atlanta has chosen this incredibly lame slogan for the city. I bow to Mr. Ries' industry experience when he explains why, in general, bad slogans happen to good people. In this particular case, he points to "creativity" as the culprit. The ad agency wants to win awards, and so they need to do something "new". I'm not sure I entirely agree. This doesn't look especially creative to me. Maybe the problem is that they weren't creative enough, either in using the existing brand asset, or in establishing any new positioning. This is a perfect example of a community that already exists, and has a narrative of its own. This city don't belong to the marketing department, the city bureaucrats, or the politicians. If Atlanta is "Hotlanta" in the minds of the community, then that's what it is. No matter how much new city letterhead you print.