City to live 'happily ever after' with new tagline

Castlegar's new tagline, “Happily Ever After,” was unveiled at Monday night's regular council meeting as the latest element of the branding process the city started last year.

Mayor Lawrence Chernoff said he thinks the tagline is an ideal next step in a undertaking designed to forward the city's economic development goals.

“It reflects upon the city's name (the “castle” in Castlegar), it has fun and humour, and it really speaks to the Castlegar experience; the lifestyle, the people, the spirit of our community,” he said.

“It's likeable, and because it's different and unique, it'll get noticed. It paints a very clear, appealing picture that encompasses our greatest asset: our people.”

He said this is just a single element of an over-arching brand concept that has been applied in myriad ways throughout the city, from paid advertisements and city stationary and business cards to the chamber of commerce and aiport brands, as well as the three-minute Castlegar video that will air at the Vancouver airport during the Olympic Games in 2010.

Councillor Deb McIntosh said she enjoys the new tagline, too – but cautions against forming a negative impression of it without first understanding the whole package.

“There's a big picture, here ... some complex goals we're trying to address, and brand incorporates all of that,” she said. “You have to really understand the whole context to appreciate the simple brilliance of the tagline.”

For more information, visit www.castlegar.ca