From a reference on the Simpsons to being leveled in a Marvel comic to making international news with Mac the Moose of late, Moose Jaw has a knack for drawing attention.
During the days of prohibition -- thanks to the link to Al Capone and some of the illicit activities that took place -- the city was notorious.
A new marketing slogan "Moose Jaw is Canada's most notorious city" was shared with the local business community last week with an eye towards launching a marketing campaign based around the slogan later in the spring.
The campaign came about after a dozen local stakeholders got together to discuss rebranding. The campaign was all privately financed and won't cost taxpayers a dime.
As Jacki L'Heureux-Mason, executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw noted: "We're always going to be The Friendly City, that never changes, I did a little google search, 150-plus places in North America use 'The Friendly City' as their slogan. While it's not untrue, it's not unique. We need to talk about what makes us Moose Jaw. What is it that sets us apart and calls to people."
When they set out for an idea, the group looked for something that would be a little edgy and a spark a reaction. L'Heureux-Mason said they wanted to "create the conversation" about the city and what makes it interesting or appealing. She noted that the worldwide attention that Mac the Moose has received recently began by creating a conversation.
The city's previous rebranding of "Surprisingly Unexpected" in 2009 wasn't warmly received and they know that "Notorious" won't be everyone's cup of tea, but they are hoping that it's a campaign that the public and business community can embrace and have fun with.
While the 'notorious' theme draws on the prohibition era of Moose Jaw's past and evokes images of Tommy Guns, flapper girls and gangsters, it also can have less elicit connotations. L'Heureux-Mason suggested that the city was also "notoriously friendly" and has notorious festivals and attractions.
