It's a concept that's set to play a key role in shaping council policy on everything from planning to education.
The soundbite was dreamed up by Peter Saville, who made his name designing record sleeves for some of the city's greatest bands like Joy Division and New Order.
Mr Saville - co-founder of Factory Records with Anthony H Wilson - was commissioned by the city council in March to come up with a way of marketing Manchester to the world.
Town hall chiefs have now given the go ahead to develop the image. A report will propose practical measures, which may include students being encouraged to learn more European languages and building schemes being blocked if they do not fit the image.
Mr Saville took as his starting point Manchester's identity as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. It was, he claimed, the "original modern city" - in the sense of being the first modern city. But it is now, and should be in the future, a city that is both original and modern.
Essence
"Manchester is a place and a way of living that people choose to identify with," said Mr Saville."Those people showing those values are the brand. Their values are the essence of the brand. The people are the shareholders in the brand. The quality of their life is the profit from the project."
Mr Saville spent several months refining the "original-modern" concept, talking it through with civic and business leaders and residents of the city.
He said Manchester's history "could not be overcome and must not be erased".
"It is in fact the foundation and capital of the brand," he said.
Mr Saville's work was summarised for the council's executive yesterday in a report written by town hall chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein.
The report described the "branding task" as a pyramid, with the entire city and its people at the bottom, distilled into a soundbite at the top.
The executive agreed to note progress made on the creation of the brand and subject it to further testing and reaction from the public. Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
That actually does'nt sound too bad. "original-modern"....you know what...i like it!
Cripes, that's absolutely brilliant. Original modern. Just shows what a truly creative mind can achieve. Beanz meanz Heinz; Go to work on an egg; A Mars a day helps you work rest and play; Original-modern. Doesn't it make you green with envy? Might we know how much this incredible marketing strategy has cost? And does anyone recall the story of the emperor's new clothes?
To Ray of Stockport: Don't knock Peter Saville. You didn't produce award-winning sleeve designs that helped redefine popular music, and you haven't spent the last two decades working on ad campaigns with some of the UK's leading companies.
If you think you can come up with a better two word slogan for Manchester, let's hear it! 'original modern' is a very good starting point and sums up Manchester well.
i have got two words that describe manchester and they are
's**t hole'
the pavements in the centre of manchester are a disgrace talk about chewing gum being on them!! the litter in the surrounding areas is a joke and to say the pavements are dangerous (rocky slabs) is an understatement
'Original-modern' is absolutely super. Doesn't it encapsulate the ying and yang of our great city, distil the essence of our corporate psyche, history, traditions and innovations? Think 'original' and we are assailed by a kaleidoscope of contrasting images. Roman soldiers tramp along Deansgate, women and children shriek in alarm as brutal yeomanry cut them down in St Anne's Square, Richard Arkwright tightens the final nut on his spinning jenny. Think 'modern' and early-morning sunlight glints off a tram trundling through misty Piccadilly Gardens, Urbis rises in solitary splendour, and B for Bang extends its steely tentacles into the vernal welkin! My fave mare Wilmslow Wilma has just dropped two lovable foals. I will name them Original and Modern, and every time I plait their darling tails I shall be reminded of our inspired marketing slogan!
I think two words that are more appropriate to describe Manchester at the moment are: homophobic and dangerous
I admire the concept and think 'original' is great. 'Modern', ironically, has a dated feel to it. Sounds as if we feel we have something to prove. Modernism is more of a mid 20th Century set of ideas. Don't have an alternative suggestion. 'Manchester -Original' on its own would work fine, though.
A word to the wise, Adrian Dee: never assume in business. I have not produced award-winning sleeve designs 'that helped redefine popular music', but I have worked on PR campaigns for some of the UK's leading companies. The slogan 'original modern' is not only eminently forgettable but could be applied to almost any major city in the UK. And while the epithet 'original' may be germane when printed on boiled sweet wrappers, 'modern' passed its sell-by date in the 1940s. But hey, as Peter Saville had the chutzpah to sell the concept to his client he deserves our plaudits on that score alone!
A word to Ray: You should have said you were involved in PR/advertising. You are making some valid points. In the final reckoning we will just have to wait and see how it turns out. Perhaps it was a mistake to release the phrase at such an early stage in the campaign.
Theres was no need for Ray to make his involvement in advertising known, that in no way validates his opinions (not that i disagree with them ).
You dont need a degree to voice a pertinant view , and to suggest otherwise is elitist and arrogant.