The annals of Atlanta history include several great, poignant slogans—“Empire City of the South” comes to mind—and also more questionable taglines that aimed to sum up a disparate, ever-changing city and region in just a few words.
Following an extensive testing process, the metro now has an official new four-word brand. Drumroll…
“Atlanta – Where You Belong”
That’s according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber, which unveiled the slogan today as a means of attracting and retaining talented people across the 29-county metro in the face of growing competition among cities and regions.
Whether the branding sticks like “ATL” or comes and goes like “Every Day is an Opening Day” remains to be seen.
Midtown and downtown Atlanta in 2020. Shutterstock
According to MAC officials, a data-driven process of “exhaustive market research” informed the new brand’s selection, each step of its development overseen by an advisory group of senior marketing executives who are part of MAC’s board.
Those individuals—all with local connections—represent some of the largest brands on the planet, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Equifax.
The four-word brand “capitalizes on the region’s momentum as it continues to rise as a global center for innovation and opportunity” and a hub for “career opportunities and community connections,” per MAC’s announcement. “[The metro] provides a customizable life for any life stage, and has a community for everyone.”
MAC is partnering with Dagger, an Atlanta-based creative agency, to help spread the “Atlanta – Where You Belong” message across multiple platforms.
Before we all rush out and buy “Atlanta – Where You Belong” bumper stickers and T-shirts, let’s ask ourselves how the slogan stacks up to others throughout history:
“New York of the South” (late 1800s)
“Chicago of the South” (circa 1906)
“Convention City of Dixie Land” (circa 1917)
“Empire City of the South”
“Atlanta: Opportunity, Optimism, and Openness”
“Atlanta: People Seem to Like it Here”
“Every Day is an Opening Day”
“City in a Forest”
“Atlanta Loves You” (h/t Saporta Report)
“Atlanta: What Happens Here, Stays Here—Stuck in Traffic” (we jest)
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