Is “I.Seoul.U” the Worst Marketing Slogan for A City Ever?
I guess a slogan making sense in English was not high on the priority list for Seoul’s new slogan to market the city with:
“I.Seoul.You” has been selected as the capital city’s new slogan.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that “I.Seoul.You” beat the two other candidates ― “Seoulmate” and “SEOULing” ― to replace its current slogan “Hi Seoul.”
“Seoulmate” won slightly more votes than “I.Seoul.You” in an online poll. However, in an on-the-spot poll held in the evening at Seoul Plaza, all nine experts and 682 out of a total 1,140 citizens voted for “I.Seoul.You,” which beat “Seoulmate” with only 232 votes.
Lee Ha-rin, a Korean student who studies philosophy in college, is the winner of the slogan contest, in which more than 16,000 people participated.
Prof. Kim Yoo-kyung of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, marketing company Playground CEO Kim Hong-tak and Prof. Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University were among the experts.
“It was very meaningful that Seoul citizens participated in the whole process from making to selecting the new slogan,” Seo said.
Kim Min-ki, who was in charge of the project, said that the new slogan will be used to rebrand the city globally. [Korea Times]
You can read the rest at the link, but many critics have already weighed in on how non-sensical this slogan is. Maybe the Seoul government thinks English gibberish will market well in China to get tourists from there?
For an English slogan for a city this has to be the worst I have heard. Can anyone think of any city with a worse slogan?
Isn’t that what the good ol’ boy said to his slave after the auction?
The Korean in the slogan makes perfectly good sense … but a helluva lot a good that’s going to do for non-Korean speakers.
MTB Rider says…”English teachers are wrong about English and thus fairness in the workplace etc…No Native English Speaker could be fired illegally in S. Korea because MTB Rider knows and S. Korean are No. 1 in the World. S. Koreans know all about English and its workplace so of course S. Koreans can choose their own slogans and they’re better than whatever GI Korea or any “foreigner” thinks as to how S. Koreans use English.. Sit Down and Shut Up Qualified(via S. Korean Immigration) Native English Speakers because MTB Rider knows you’re wrong as do S. Koreans/S. Korea ❗ And, don’t you ever use the best language in the world/Korean incorrectly without the permission of a S. Korean. Correction: Don’t ever use the S. Korean language incorrectly with or without the permission of a S. Korean.
I like the new slogan. It’s no worse than “I (heart) NY”.
If they’re going to make a point to have a slogan in English, and it’s part of a marketing campaign with global reach, they should consider whether the slogan makes any sense to native English speakers. No one has to wonder what “I NY” means.
Unless “Seoul” can be interpreted as some form of verb, it doesn’t make sense … in English.
Sparkling! wit from those Seoul Metropolitan Government folks… 😛
Bruce K. Nivens wrote: It’s no worse than “I (heart) NY”.
At least it would kind of make sense if you put a heart around “Seoul,” as in “Seoul I love you.”
But even that sounds very corny, not to mention, the Korean below it says, “My and your Seoul.”
“나와 나의 서울” translates to “Me and my Seoul,” not quite “My and your Seoul.”
The English, “I Seoul U” conjures up “You and me; but Seoul got in the way…” (which may be the subject of many “What happens in Korea stays in Korea” stories that didn’t).