Where to go when you're Going UP
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
11/10/2004

Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. is making every attempt to move up on the map with its new image for the downtown area - "Going Up."

The concept, created by Ackerman McQueen, is designed to tie into economic development in a lighthearted way. Eat Up, Drink Up, Read Up and 2004 is Almost Up are just a few of the Ups in the mix that Downtown OKC, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and local businesses will use in coming promotions.

Downtown OKC and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber will introduce the new branding campaign at 2:30 p.m. today in the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library Auditorium.

Kim Searls, director of marketing at Downtown OKC, said the organizational team looked at several other cities and found that nearly all cities had a tagline or brand of some sort, but downtown Oklahoma City never has. Furthermore, they wanted something that would reflect the energy that exists with all the economic development downtown, which includes the Business District, Arts District, Automobile Alley, Deep Deuce and Bricktown.

"We felt like we have so much going on right now and such a story to tell that we needed something that could say 'downtown' in a short, little blurb," she said.

"We wanted to convey that downtown is an exciting place to be right now. We wanted to be able to share it with everyone and be able to use it on everything."

The organization budgeted $5,000 to develop the campaign and $30,000 to promote it, Searls said. However, they partnered with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, which helped defray some of the development costs.

"They felt this was really important, too," Searls said.

"They have joined us as a partner in the production and development of this new campaign."

Jeanette Elliott, executive vice president and creative director at Ackerman McQueen, said the slogan is a reference to the one thing that characterizes downtowns from non-downtowns - the tall buildings and accompanying elevators that are visuals of climbing (going up) and rising (also going up).

"It's a statement, a promise that we're coming up in the world - things are getting bigger and better," she said. "The thing that got us mostly excited about it was all the permutations. It became a way to invite people, engage people in something that you can have fun with. And that was one of the criteria within the assignment."

As for having fun, just imagine the endless possibilities while you Drink Up with friends in Bricktown. For instance, I have to Hurry Up and get this to my editor so I don't End Up in the unemployment line.

Everything's coming UP roses for downtown Oklahoma City

Move Up - move a business here, live here.

Meet Up - Cox Center, hotel and restaurant meeting place.

Read Up - new Library, Taylor's Books, downtown newsletter.

Gear Up - Bass Pro.

Cheer Up - sports events.

Shape Up - YMCA, trails.

Listen Up - live music, concerts, musical theater, choral groups, outdoor concerts, lectures.

Eat Up - restaurants.

Drink Up - bars, clubs.

Perk Up - coffee shops.

Walk Up - walk-up restaurants, such as the new Bricktown Sonic.

Batter Up - SBC Bricktown Ballpark.

Catch Up - trolley tour, water taxi tours and carriage tours or catch a movie.

Follow Up - visitor amenities: map kiosks, way-finding signs, Oklahoma City CVB, street team ambassadors.

Oars Up - rowing, Regatta Park.

Climb Up - OKC Rocks.

Ring Up - Message to retailers, restaurants and hotels.

Saddle Up - Stockyards City.

Show Up - new cineplex.

Lighten Up - buffaloes, dancing fountains, comedy clubs.

Drive Up - drive-thru conveniences.

Fill Up - new gas stations.

Lift Up (Your Heart) - Oklahoma City National Memorial, churches.

Lace Up - ice skating at Civic Center Park.

Curtains Up - Civic Center, Carpenter Square Theater, Stage Center.

Heads Up - salons, barber shops.

Check Up - doctors and dentists offices.

Greened Up - downtown parks, landscaping.

Cleaned Up - Clean Team.

Lit Up - nightlife.

Opening Up - art gallery openings, Festival of the Arts, new parking lots.

2004 is almost Up - Opening Night.

Stay Up - Opening Night and staying in a downtown hotel.

Coming Up - promote new businesses and attractions.

Uptober - October events, downtown Upfest.
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DOKC is taking this tagline and running with it. It's good to see. I just hope they produce some good images to accompany the themes. For instance, for "Lit Up", I would show all the terrific neon in Auto Alley and Bricktown. With all these permutations, the campaign should keep our interest for awhile.

I think this can work.

I still do not like it. Partly because I do not like the word "up" except as a direction.

Terms like "throw up," "set up," and others bother me. I just wish this city would get creative. They prooved they could with this years political ads. Think anti Brad Carson and the Texas redneck thanking us for the money. Oh. I forgot the computer generated mouse.

The agency could win an addy or a Cleo with some crativity. I do not see how this "going up" campaign is there. Still hokey.

Yeah, I'm with mranderson. This is just way too corny for me. Maybe I'll get used to it. I stillt hink they could've come up with something more creative though.

I guess this is the main logo:


(Sorry it won't paste directly.)

Ehhh. Nice clean lines. Simple and kinda ambiguous. But we'll see how it does pasted against images and alonside the permutations. Then people will figure out what it all means. At least it looks good.

Here's the logo. Looks kind of elementary to me. Did they really need to accentuate the "up" that much! It will be interesting to see how this looks when it's placed on more important backgrounds.

I don't like it either . They need to be much more creative than that.

Ackerman McQueen did this? Well, I guess their day has come and gone, and so has the Downtown OKC Inc. leadership. Perhaps I should have paid closer attention, or participated more, but I'll never be sure how much my voice would have bee heard.

Little time was spent on developing the logo, and if Going Up must be downtown's tagline, then perhaps a decent photo of our skyline could have sufficed for the backdrop of this logo.

I know it doesn't dazzle, guys, but let's keep up the faith. We have yet to see it used in print advertising and other media. I don't think AM's reasoning behind it was the two-word logo, as it is the flexibility of its use, with the permutations.

Let's think about it. The key word us Up. Whenever we hear "Up" used in the context of some hospitality or business in OKC, we'll think of downtown. The more we hear it, the more infectious it will be to use "Up" in our language. What DOKC and AM need to do is to have every body in downtown using the word "Up" -- the office workers, librarians, waitstaff, the Clean Team, the patrol officers, bartenders, musicians, water taxi ambassadors, city officials and other downtown boosters to use it. I think the T-shirts are a start. Laughing Fish and other downtown shops should sell 'em.

I am optimistic about this too. A simple, effective, quick, easy, impacting tagline... Seeing it for real will help everyone too, I think.

I noticed they have this new logo all over downtown now on the light pole banners. My fiancee and I went downtown the other day...she hadn't even heard about the new theme. She saw them, and asked me if I knew anything about them. Of course I told her all about our discussion on here. Anyways, she thought they were pretty retarded.....I think those were her exact words.

Sure, we'll probably get "used" to it around here, but just think what newcomers will think when they see those banners. Will they think the same way I did at first? Or will the just not notice them at all?

Well, I guess I'm just too pessimistic on the new tagline. I guess it is a start.
All I have to say is....what's up guys?