“Not As Bad As Philadelphians Say It Is”
Suppose you work for the ministry of tourism of Iceland and must create a catchy slogan to promote your nation. How about: “Come to Iceland and Freeze Your Ass Off.”
Or you have the same challenge for Brazil.
Here’s a good slogan: “You Will Love Brazil – If You Don’t Get Mugged.”
We doubt that such negative slogans would fly in either nation, but this is Philadelphia where a huge billboard on the Schuylkill Expressway once told those entering the city: “Philadelphia Is Not As Bad As Philadelphians Say It Is.”
The very large billboard went up in 1970 and was created and paid for by the city Chamber of Commerce. We can imagine tourists trying to make a U-turn on the Expressway after reading the message.
It did create a lot of talk – not only in Philly but in many out-of-town newspapers.
The slogan flowed from the creative mind of ad man Elliott Curson, who is currently still plugging away at his Rittenhouse Square ad agency. “Well it (the slogan) does keep coming up. It’s not forgotten,” he says.
Another slogan Curson once floated: “Philadelphia It’s Half-Way Between New York and Washington and It’s Waiting for You.”
Philadelphia had hit its nadir in the 1970s: bad sports teams, population loss, high crime, Blue laws, few good places to eat. So, the slogan might have been accurate, if not effective.
We’re not sure what the city slogan is these days.
But thank goodness a suggestion never caught on following the MOVE
disaster in 1985: “The City that Bombed Itself”