Glasgow unveils £1.5m rebranding

Five Glaswegians will feature in the campaign

Glasgow declared itself "the new black" as it launched a £1.5m campaign to give itself a more cosmopolitan image.

Under the slogan Glasgow: Scotland with style, it aims to create 1,000 jobs and attract £42m of investment in the economy over two years.

Those behind the rebranding campaign said it would celebrate the legacy of designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the way Barcelona celebrates Gaudi.

Images from the campaign will start appearing across Glasgow on Wednesday.

Five Glaswegians have been chosen to represent the face of the city during the marketing drive.

It will feature online advertising and a year-long public relations campaign in the UK, Europe and the United States.

The new logo is a "modern homage to Mackintosh" with a green colon representing the city's nickname as "the dear green place".

The aim is to project a "new and confident" image of the city on the world stage.

Council leader Councillor Charlie Gordon said the city had made "tremendous progress" since the 1980s.

The adverts will appear across the city

"People tend to forget how far the city has come in 20 years," he said.

"Despite this, research has shown that there are still negative perceptions of the city remaining and our biggest challenge is to address these - particularly in the target markets of London and the south."

Eddie Friel, chief executive of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board, said: "We have been through a period where 20 years ago Scotland was apologising for Glasgow.

"The days when people have to apologise for this city are over."

He said that the city needed to project a unique image.

"Glasgow: Scotland with style is not simply a slogan. It capitalises on a point of differentiation that no other city can claim - Charles Rennie Mackintosh," he said.

The campaign highlights the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

"If Barcelona can use Gaudi and Chicago Frank Lloyd Wright, Glasgow can surely use Mackintosh.

"The new brand will do what no other campaign has done - it will speak to Glaswegians, to our key external audiences and clearly identify Glasgow with Scotland."

He said the city had a history of reinventing itself according to the needs of its customers.

"What we really have to do through this campaign is to create the wealth that we need in order to make sure that we make Glasgow a much better place for all Glaswegians," added Mr Friel.

One of the first adverts promotes the city's shopping and fashion credentials under the slogan "Glasgow: The New Black".

The other highlights the city's arts and architecture with the slogan: "Discover Mackintosh's Art Nouveau masterpiece. It's called Glasgow."

The formal launch of the brand was co-hosted by Lord of the Rings Star Billy Boyd and television personality Sarah Heaney.