Seoul announces new city slogan 'I. SEOUL. U'
The Seoul Metropolitan Government selected a new slogan on Wednesday, seeking to revamp its brand image and entice more tourists.
In a ceremony held at the city's public square Seoul Plaza, the city announced that "I. SEOUL. U" won the logo contest, beating two other candidates "Seoulmate" and "SEOULing" to replace "Hi Seoul," the current slogan that had been used for 13 years.
Some 58 per cent of voters supported "I. SEOUL. U" in a poll that consisted of online votes by citizens and an on-the-spot vote by a panel of residents and experts. In the on-the-spot poll, all nine experts and 682 out of 1,140 residents supported the new logo.
"With the new logo, I wanted to show the ever-changing vibrant and dynamic image of Seoul that we need to build," said Lee Ha-rin, a Korean undergraduate who won the slogan contest in which 16,000 participated.
Since late 2014, the city has launched a crowd sourced campaign for a new slogan to replace the current one "Hi Seoul, Soul of Asia," which the city administration considered to be difficult to use in China, the ｃountry acｃounting for the highest number of tourists to Seoul. In 2006, China banned the use of the expression "Soul of Asia."
But some public relations experts and expats pointed out that the new slogan might not communicate well with those who reside in English-speaking ｃountries, suggesting that the brand fails to capture the sophisticated image the city is trying to promote.
"I am not sure what they are trying to convey. It sounds like 'I saw you' or 'I sold you.' If they were trying to say that Seoul connects me and you, it might make sense a little, but not much really," said a 30-year-old American English teacher.
Faced with mounting criticism, the panel that spearheaded the campaign to adopt a new slogan said in a statement Monday that the new slogan would grow on the public over time and would be understood by foreigners.
"It is quite natural to feel it's awkward when the city introduces a new brand. It is quite common to see such awkwardness in other global cities that tried to build their own brand. The public will embrace the new slogan over time," the statement said.
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Also, considering that the slogan is a brand, we need to look at it outside of grammar rules. We have already collected the opinion of experts in English and they said the logo is communicable in modern English," said the statement.
Article Source: http://travel.asiaone.com/article/news/seoul-announces-new-city-slogan-i-seoul-u
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Revamp (v.) ~ give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to
2. Entice (v.) ~ attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage
3. Vibrant (adj.) ~ full of energy and enthusiasm
4. Convey (v.) ~ make (an idea, impression, or feeling) known or understandable to someone
5. Spearhead (v.) ~ lead (an attack or movement)
6. Communicable (adj.) ~ able to be communicated to others
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What is your opinion on the new city slogan of Seoul? Do you think it conveys a positive image of the city?
2. Why is a city’s image and branding important?
3. What kind of image would you like your city to present to the world? How would you deliver this message?
