I won’t insult readers’ intelligence by starting this op-ed off by claiming to like Seoul’s new branding slogan, “I.Seoul.U.” No, I’m not especially happy with it, and it was definitely not my choice. In fact, I was rather surprised that all nine expert judges – including one native English speaker – and a solid majority of the 1,140 people who showed up on the bitterly cold evening of Oct. 28 voted for it. A good presentation goes a long way, I suppose.
Having said that, let’s give the new branding slogan some time. When the city’s previous branding slogan, “Hi Seoul,” was first unveiled on the public, it, too, was a source of much dissatisfaction, mockery and general head-scratching. Over time, however, Seoulites not only stoically resigned themselves to the quirky two-word slogan, but embrace it – so much so, in fact, that a good many residents are sorry to see it go.
Similar efforts worldwide have also met with early criticism – “Be Berlin,” for example, was criticized for being vague and dull and subjected to much satirical humor when it was first announced in 2008.
I expect “I.Seou.U” will undergo the same stages of acceptance as did “Hi Seoul,” especially when one considers than unlike “Hi Seoul,” a slogan with no real meaning as far as I can tell, “I.Seoul.U” has a rather profound meaning that reflects the aspirations of city residents to make Seoul a space of connectivity, leisure, passion and coexistence. Admittedly, that meaning isn’t immediately apparent to many first-time viewers, both Korean and international, but over time and with a proper public relations campaign, public understanding should grow.
Greater public understanding of the meaning may not do much to help “I.Seoul.You” as an international marketing slogan. The brand’s primary audience, however, is not overseas, but Seoulites themselves. The branding process was conceived to allow city residents an opportunity to define the city as they see it, or at least would like it to be seen. The public was continuously involved throughout the year-long process to craft the new brand, which included, among other things, workshops, public lectures and, of course, voting. While I’d be inclined to agree with those who might argue that “I.Seoul.You” is the risk you take when entrusting non-English-speakers with choosing an English-language slogan, ultimately, it was largely the people’s choice – albeit not entirely – and its success will depend less on whether foreigner tourists understand it and more on whether Seoulites themselves come to accept it. Some of the early polling results aren’t cause for optimism in this regard, but I do believe that once the city begins to use and promote the slogan in earnest, the public will eventually come around.
Robert Koehler is the chief editor of Seoul Selection’s SEOUL Magazine and was the sole foreign member of the Seoul Brand Promotion Committee
