From Deseret News archives:

Utah brand doesn't elevate all readers

Published: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 9:24 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Tourism officials have touted Utah's new "Life Elevated" tourism brand as aspirational and inspirational. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. even said there is "no better way to describe the experience that is Utah."

Related content
Deseret Morning News

Reactions to 'Utah: Life Elevated'

But some Deseret Morning News readers, responding to a call for a critique of the brand, used other words to describe "Life Elevated."

They include "stinks," "drivel," "vacuous" and "stupid."

In an unscientific poll, their e-mailed assessments were not all negative. They ranged from "the perfect tag line" to "lame-brained," from "average" to "ambiguous," from "a great ad campaign" to "virtually meaningless."

Story continues below
"A pretty, great slogan; full of inspiration and aspiration — as long as it is understood that we in Utah look down on no one," wrote Kirk Strickland of Layton.

"The slogan sounds to me like they are saying Utah and Utahns are better than people who don't live here," wrote Mike Brooks of Magna. "So if you want to be better, come to Utah."

But other respondents wondered if the new brand would actually result in tourists flocking to the state.

"My reaction is: 'elevated' to what?" asked William O. Shaw Jr. of Centerville. "It's ambiguous with no meaning. It may be too 'deep' for me, and it could be too 'deep' for people outside of the state."

Phil Brueck of Saratoga Springs found nothing in the new slogan "that would make me want to visit if I didn't already have some reason for doing so" and found it difficult to believe that "our tourism 'experts' couldn't have come up with something better."

"The real test, I think, is that if Alabama or another state far away had come up with that slogan, would it entice us to want to visit there?" he wrote. "It doesn't ring my bell!"

Joshua J. Steimle of Draper wrote that he was neither disappointed nor thrilled with the new brand. He also believes it will not, by itself, affect tourism, "even if it were an amazingly good brand."

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News

Comments on the new state slogan range from "average" to "ambiguous."

previousnext

Latest comments

Thunder rolls by Jazz

may have a point. A smaller faster line up may have stopped some of the 3s....

Also, don't conservatives see the silliness of trying to compare Palin with...

Utes set to welcome Seattle

My point exactly. I'm sure the power teams such as Seattle looking for their...

RSL defied doubters to win title

Excellent work gentlemen- may you bring home many more MLS cups.

I actually have not seen an episode of this show, but congrats to Donny. What...

"I also think many confuse Obama's ability to speak with actual...

Thunder rolls by Jazz

re:re: I agree this is a fan blog and no better way to let off some steam....

Thunder rolls by Jazz

Sorry the obvious is painful for you. It is way past time the Jazz joined the...

Thunder rolls by Jazz

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, 2 minutes for Fesenko? Are you...

Can you show me where it’s working? The first rule in good business or...

Advertisements