Chicago mocked for bizarre new tourism slogan

Locals baffled by campaign that highlights city’s invention of the zipper and washing machine

Artwork from the marketing campaign (World Business Chicago)

“Chicago Not In Chicago.” Do those words leave you itching to visit the Windy City?

They form the bizarre new marketing slogan for the city - created on a pro bono basis by agency Energy BBDO and unveiled last week.

The brainchild of city mayor Lori Lightfoot, the idea was that the campaign would draw tourists’ attention to the many inventions the city of Chicago has given the United States and the wider world - from skyscrapers to coffee makers.

But it’s been widely derided as confusing, negative and dreary-sounding.

Bafflingly, the slogan’s official website seems to direct tourists to completely different cities, with New York’s Statue of Liberty appearing on its banner image.

“New York City is full of Chicago stories. So, take a seat, jump into these stories, and enjoy the ride,” reads a caption below.

Distinct sections on London, Berlin, Sao Paulo and Mexico City - all apparently home to features and attractions created in Chicago - follow, with promotional videos and themed tours to accompany them.

The campaign has left many wondering how it will attract tourism and increase Chicago’s profile as a US destination following the travel slump of the pandemic.

“Many of the most iconic New York buildings were built by Chicago architecture firms, like the Flatiron Building and One World Tower,” Chicago’s chief marketing officer, Michael Fassnacht, said of the new approach.

“Also, New Yorkers always have a cup of coffee in their hands, thanks to Chicago where the coffeemaker was created in 1930.”

The campaign’s online list of signature Chicago inventions includes the zipper, the washing machine, the soap opera and softball alongside the Ferris wheel and the mobile phone, all featuring on the red, blue and white graphic posters.

Twitter users hijacked the hashtag to create their own bleak versions of the campaign’s city facts and trivia.

“A sobbing man peers over the brink of a NYC high rise rooftop. He thinks he has no reason to live. Lori Lightfoot bursts out across the roof. She reminds him that the skyscraper was invented in Chicago by William LeBaron Jenney in 1885,” tweeted LA-based Tom Bellino.

“A hush falls over the crowd; the solemn occasion is at hand. Suddenly a cell phone rings, only the ringtone is a voice recording. As its owner fumbles to silence it, it repeats: ‘Did you know the cell phone was invented in suburban Chicago?’” joked Eric Allix Rodgers.

In an op-ed, the Chicago Sun Times called it “a dud” and “a wrongheaded approach that will accomplish very little — if anything at all.”