Manchester elite plan rival city slogan

The cream of Manchester’s design community is pulling together to create a rival image and slogan for the city following the poor reception of a hallmark launched last month.

Promotional body Marketing Manchester unveiled the slogan Manchester, We’re Up and Going, which was created by advertising agency McCann-Erickson (DW 23 May).

The Chase, which had originally been appointed to the job, saw its strapline Great Britain, Greater Manchester, relegated in the campaign, and its typeface changed.

McCann-Erickson’s attempts were slammed as “little more than dull” in a letter signed by more than 30 members of the city’s cultural community.

The signatories – now calling themselves the McEnroe Group after the tennis champion’s famous phrase “You cannot be serious” – have since approached Marketing Manchester and will present an alternative proposal to the body at the end of this month.

The logo is being created by Trevor Johnson at Via Design with graphic designer Peter

Saville. Mark Farrow, Malcolm Garrett and others are working on a series of advertisements supporting the campaign. All the designers are doing the work free of charge.

Marketing Manchester chairman Sir David Trippier says the presentation will “add value to our joint aims and objectives to promote the Manchester city region more effectively”.