CALGARY,
AB, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The new logo and
visual identity for Calgary's
civic brand, Blue Sky City, will be shared with the community at
First Flip – the first official Stampede event of the year.
The visual identity was inspired by beadwork which captures
Calgary's story as a place of
confluence where peoples, lands, cultures and ideas come together.
The beadwork symbolizes the story of each individual Calgarian, and
when these stories and individuals come together, the sum of their
parts is greater than the whole.
The brand will continue to use red in its colour palette, along
with the incorporation of blue and yellow.
"Our city has been through many challenges over the years, but
we are resilient and community focused. When we come together,
there is no limit to what we can overcome and achieve," said Mayor
Jyoti Gondek.
"Stampede is about our city coming together to celebrate that
community spirit. I can't think of a better time to share this
milestone with Calgarians."
The new logo and other visual elements will be shared at
community events in the coming months. Civic and community partners
will also begin to integrate the new brand into their organizations
and public facing communications, while Calgarians are encouraged
to learn about the brand and how they can share it through a
publicly available website.
The new visual identity comes after community partners shared
Calgary's new brand in April that
tells a story about Calgary being
a city of blue-sky thinking and innovation, a place of unexpected
possibilities and a place of confluence for people from diverse
backgrounds. By celebrating the history and diversity of
Calgary, it is designed to reflect
all Calgarians.
The Blue Sky City brand also serves as a reference to
Calgary being the sunniest city in
Canada with 333 days of sunshine
each year.
"As a city evolves – so too does its brand", says Alisha Reynolds, President and CEO of Tourism
Calgary. "Tourism Calgary works
every day to attract national and international visitors to our
city, which in turn injects billions of dollars into our economy.
Having a strong brand – one that honours our past while also
embracing who we are today - is an investment in our city."
Research conducted by Calgary Economic Development and Tourism
Calgary showed Calgary's former
brand didn't resonate with Calgarians or people outside
Alberta. In response, the two
organizations, in partnership with the City of Calgary, undertook a process to
identify a new brand that was reflective of all
Calgarians.
In total, 129 organizations across 26 sectors were engaged at
every phase of the brand work through interviews, workshops,
cross-country focus groups and surveys. This engagement was
inclusive of a broad range of individuals, taking into account age,
gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and geographic
location.
To date, an investment of $1.7
million has been made on brand development and rollout. This
includes research and engagement with residents, businesses and
visitors through surveys, focus groups and workshops, the
development of brand assets for community partners such as
photography and videography, the creation of the visual identity
including a tool kit and storytelling playbook, as well as
promotional materials for upcoming community events.
Calgary Economic Development and Tourism Calgary are now
developing national and international marketing campaigns for the
new brand as part of their mandates to attract visitors, capital
and talent.
"Calgary's story doesn't belong
to any one group; it belongs to all Calgarians and it's a story
about our collective voices that come together to tell a larger
story about who we are as a city," said Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic
Development and CEO, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.
"That's why we intentionally engaged with all of our communities
to unearth a story that we hope reflects the diversity of
Calgarians and draws people to our city to visit, build a life or
build a business."
ABOUT CALGARY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to
spark and fuel Calgary's growth.
Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow
their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets and
feel at home in our community. We steward the economic strategy,
Uplook: An Action Plan for Our Economy with the mandate
to position Calgary for long-term
economic success by supporting the expansion, retention and
acquisition of companies, capital and talent. We offer a wealth of
information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote
Calgary, in Canada and around the world. For more
information, please visit our website at
www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com and follow us on
LinkedIn.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Grace Fullerton
Manager, Communications
Media Line: 403 880 7040
Email: media@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com
ABOUT TOURISM CALGARY
Tourism Calgary is the official
destination management organization for Calgary's tourism industry. For more than 60
years, the organization's primary purpose has been to promote
Calgary and area as the
destination of choice. With a vision of making Calgary the ultimate host city, Tourism
Calgary markets the city locally, nationally, and internationally
and advocates for its ongoing development as a destination. The
organization hosts and attracts visitors, conventions and events,
and activates the city by fostering the growth of shareable,
memorable experiences. In 2023, Calgary saw an estimated 8.4 million visitors
and a resulting visitor spend of $2.9
billion.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lorèn Lailey
Sr. Director, Communications & Sustainability
Phone: 587-223-8500
Email: lorenl@tourismcalgary.com
SOURCE Calgary Economic Development Ltd.