Junior revamps Gold Coast brand

Exclusive: The Gold Coast has had a brand overhaul, with Queensland agency Junior creating a new logo and refreshed look and feel for the sunshine city.

B&T understands that Junior scored these duties following a competitive pitch process involving multiple agencies already rostered by Gold Coast City Council.

The new logo will act as both a new brand identity for Gold Coast City Council as well as being used to represent the city in general when added to communications from various partners and stakeholders such as Gold Coast Tourism.

The project encompasses a new look and feel for the Council’s wider suite of marketing and community engagement communications. The agency has also produced a short, pre-launch social media campaign called ‘what’s with the red full stop?’. That has been in play since the start of this week.

The brand shift comes seven months after the Gold Coast City Council expressed concerns about the city's reputation as 'uncultured'.

In May last year the Council's economic development and tourism committee boss, Jan Grew, told local press that measures needed to be taken to remedy the public's perception of the region as the "crime capital of Australia".

"We want to talk about a safe, friendly place with great lifestyle and plenty of opportunity. We want that to be our brand," Grew said, stressing the brand had to encourage investment and new businesses to the city by promoting the right message.

Russ Vine, MD of Junior today told B&T: “Gold Coast is one of the world’s most fascinating emerging cities. It is growing, dynamic, connected and innovative yet all still laced with an inimitable surfside vibe and a unique spirit of adventure. If Australia has an equivalent to Palo Alto or a San Sebastian, then it’s here.

Junior’s brief was to give the city a grown-up identity that was strong and unapologetic.

“What we have created is brave because it is simple,” said Vine. “ Everyone has an opinion of the Gold Coast, but no one sentiment can sum it up. It is what it is. It's the Gold Coast. Full stop. It’s been a great project to work on and we feel honoured to have played our part.”

Junior evaluated the brand identities of over 50 other cities and designed around 20 alternatives before the winning logo was selected.

“Brand identities – especially for significant places or major events – invariably polarise and we’ve no doubt this one will do so as much as any other. There is gravitas enough in the design however to serve Gold Coast City well now they have begun to take their place on a wider, world stage. Yet there is also a big enough and endearing enough idea in the bright red full stop for us to add some unique energy to how the city is positioned going forward,” said Vine.

Gold Coast is currently Australia’s fastest growing city and is now the nation’s 6^th largest. In 2018 Gold Coast City will host the Commonwealth Games.

Junior was appointed by Gold Coast City Council as one of three creative agencies added to a new roster in late 2012.

Junior has also been recently appointed by Crimestoppers Queensland, Rio Tinto Alcan and the sustainability agency CitySmart, for a number of multi-media projects all also breaking early to mid 2013.

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