Rockford's new branding slogan, revealed in this story in today's Register Star, is a tempting target for satire -- too tempting. It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel.
You'll get no jokes from me on this matter.
For one thing, I'm not opposed to energetic efforts to market the community to the world at large. For another, I'm not yet able to judge the worthiness of the materials and approaches that will be used in tandem with the slogan.
Still, I find the slogan -- "Rockford -- Real. Original." -- underwhelming, at least at first glance. It seems not to say anything. "Real"? Compared to what? "Original"? What can that possibly mean?
Ask yourself this question: If you saw a slogan that said "Decatur -- Real. Original." what would be your reaction?
Am I missing something here? How is this slogan any better than previous efforts of this kind? Is it better than "Rockford -- a different kind of greatness"? Is it better than "Make it in Rockford" or "Rockford -- The top of Illinois"?
I also can't help but wonder if the process by which this slogan was hatched included any devil's advocacy, any freedom among those involved to say that these three words aren't going to get it.
Why weren't this slogan and several alternatives placed before the local public for reaction before a final decision was made? Why was the "real-original" approach unveiled as a fait accompli? An appeal for public input might have produced a few better ideas.
These questions, I dare say, should not be dismissed as just another example of the negativism that has plagued this city for so long. Let's not get so carried away with our quest for positivism that nobody will dare express any doubts for fear of being labeled an obstructionist or worse.
UPDATE: The Rascal has erred. The new branding slogan for Rockford is not "Rockford -- Real. Original." Rather, it features the words "Real" and "Original" above or alongside a larger, more stylized rendering of the word "Rockford."
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