1 EAGLETON NOTES: Glasgow's Miles Better

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Friday 11 May 2012

Glasgow's Miles Better


Back in 1983 Glasgow had a wonderful slogan with a smiley face.  It was developed by Scottish advertising agency, Struthers Advertising, and featured the phrase "Glasgow's Miles Better" wrapped around the cartoon figure of Mr. Happy.  It is regarded as one of the earliest and most successful attempts to rebrand a city in the world and received a number of domestic and international awards.  In fact I would venture to suggest that no city in Britain has ever produced such a successful and memorable a campaign slogan.

If it hadn't been for the fact that I actually was listening to the radio the moment of transmission I might have thought the following snippet was apocryphal but it's not.  It happened.  When Glasgow was looking for a replacement slogan Edinburgh was also looking for a slogan.  Sue MacGregor the co-presenter of the programme Today on Radio 4 suggested off the cuff that Edinburg could adopt 'Edinburgh's Quite Nice'.  I'm sorry that those of you who don't know an Edinburgh accent or understand the gentility attributed to Edinburgh may feel a bit non-plussed.  But believe me that was greeted with a very wide variety of comments here in Scotland. 

Anyway all this arose because I wanted to show you a photo that I took in Glasgow the day after I'd arrived back in Scotland:



6 comments:

  1. Definitely breaking the trade description act there.

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  2. Great shots. I was particularly drawn to the reflection in the shop window in the first one, though.

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  3. Love your street pictures. As for the text it required some pondering.

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  4. Mark beat me to it - Donald where's your trousers, I mean kilt! (Sorry that will only mean anything to those who recall Andy Stewart and the Hogmanay tv programmes of the sixties and seventies.)

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  5. I kin see his troosis. He's nor warin' his kilt at aal!

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  6. I like the reflection in the window ... and the blue sky, a rarity in Glasgow.

    You might be interested to know that a new version of Glasgow's Miles Better is coming next year.

    http://www.glasgowsmilesbetter.com

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