We commented on the Toronto Unlimited campaign when it was launched in 2005.

For my tax dollars, I’d rather the branding team for Toronto, led by Brand Architecture International, had ripped off Interbrand’s “Welcome” idea, instead. At least that would have been consistent with Toronto’s character. According to a United Nations report, Toronto has the second-highest proportion of immigrants in the world. Almost half of Toronto’s residents were born outside Canada.

The resulting cultural diversity is reflected in the numerous ethnic neighbourhoods of the city; and the proliferation of authentic shops and restaurants derived from cultures around the world makes the city one of the most exciting places in the world to visit. Moreover, the relative tranquility that mediates between such diverse populations is a testament to the tolerant character of Canadian society.

I think the idea that places can be ‘branded’ is hilarious, and amounts to little more than a full-employment act for branding agencies. What consumer can tell the difference between the smiling faces, beautiful vistas, and otherwise uncrowded scenes featured in most travel/location branding ads? As for slogans and logos, well, I’ve never met a single living human being who bought ANYTHING based on the inspiration of a catchphrase or shape of a logo. Unless destination marketing prompts behavior, the branding is inert and useless.

We are Martín Bomrad and Guillermo Gamboa, students of Licentiate in Design of the Visual Communication, of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
We are developing our graduation thesis linked to the thematic “City Brand”, which possesses in one of their stages, the exhibition of the real cases that they given in different parts of the world. And as you will imagine, we are interested in studying the case of Toronto Unlimited.

About the brand for Toronto, we have gotten in the web site, information linked to their positioning. However, we don’t have images of the visual identity applied in real pieces (letter, posters, merchandising, banners, stand, wayfinding, uniforms, etc.) We wanted to request them if they can facilitate us the Brand Manual Guidelines and images where the application of the visual identity is seen.

We want to leave in undoubtedly these images are of great utility for our academic work, and be worth this explanation, to leave sat down that the use of the material that you provide us has exclusively academic ends.

Lastly, we wanted to request him him to respond us the following consultation:
- at the moment, who does administer the communications of Toronto Unlimited?
- is the visual identity, applied in municipal communications of internal use? (example: vehicles, uniforms, wayfinding of dependences, etc.)

We will be very grateful for your answer.

Thank you for everything,
Greetings

Martín Bomrad. Guillermo Gamboa

PD: If you cann’t respond us, derive this mail to the person enabled to answer. We have sent many messages to Toronto Unlimited official site, but we don’t receive answer.

Martín, Guillermo,
We are answering your questions via direct email.

Man, Paris gets “City of Lights” and the best Toronto can come up with is Toronto Unlimited? C’mon, I could have done better for a fraction of the price!