‘Incredinburgh’ marketing campaign to be axed

Marketing Edinburgh’s new tagline for the city,  designed by the award- winning Leith Agency, will now be replaced with “Winterinedinburgh” which will only be used for this year’s winter festival period.

A second slogan “Goaheadinburgh” will also be used in the campaign to bring shoppers and tourists into the city centre this Christmas.

The change has been  demanded by Edinburgh City Council leader Andrew Burns and his deputy Steve Cardownie after their initial fears over the “Incredinburgh” strapline were allegedly ignored by the Marketing Edinburgh chief executive Lucy Bird.

Cllr Cardownie said:  “Andrew and I were given a presentation by Lucy Bird and a representative from The Leith Agency a few months ago. We both made it clear that we were unhappy with the slogan. We didn’t think it fitted with the image we wanted to project, that it was a case a shoehorning the word Edinburgh into a slogan and didn’t work. We were given a further presentation but it was just another  rehashed explanation of the ‘Incredinburgh’ slogan. She made it perfectly clear to us that this would be the core of the campaign. They hadn’t taken on board anything we’d said.”

Marketing Edinburgh was established last year and is funded by the city council to the tune of £3 million.  According to sources close to the marketing body, bosses had shown the “Incredinburgh” campaign – believed to be costing £300,000 – to 18 key stakeholders in the city, and had received unanimous backing for the idea.

Cllr Cardownie added: “I don’t know what processes it went through but, quite frankly, there’s no-one I have spoken to about it who likes it.”

Marketing Edinburgh refused to confirm any changes, but chief executive Lucy Bird, said: “Various iterations of  the campaign have been  considered.”

A statement from The Leith Agency said “final details were still being confirmed” and that the planned launch was still scheduled for October 23.