Creative Concern unveils Wythenshawe campaign
Manchester district Wythenshawe, often labelled Europe's largest council estate, has unveiled a £30,000 image campaign to challenge its 'outdated' negative reputation.
The Real Lives Wythenshawe campaign has been created by Manchester-based agency Creative Concern, having tendered for the project in November 2007.
Wythenshawe, in South Manchester, has gained a local reputation for its levels of poverty, proportion of council housing and high unemployment rate. Such is its notorious image, outdoor scenes for Channel 4's Shameless are shot in the area.
But Creative Concern say the new campaign will challenge negative perceptions of the district in the so-called 'doughnut ring' that surrounds Wythenshawe, which is made up of some of the region's most affluent areas such as Disbury and Hale.
The campaign features 'real' people from the area and aims to draw attention to the £600m that has been invested into the district since 1998.
It has been funded through a partnership made up of Manchester City Council, Wythenshawe Forum Trust, Parkway Green Housing Trust, St Modwen and Marketing Manchester.
Before the launch, consultations were carried out to assess both residents’ perceptions of Wythenshawe and those from neighbouring areas. The campaign was also shown to local focus groups before it was unveiled.
Residents and local decision makers including the leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, got their first look at Creative Concern's work at a launch exhibition today.
Sir Richard Leese said: “The image of Wythenshawe is out of date. The people of Wythenshawe deserve an image that reflects where they live and the strides that have already been taken in regenerating the area. A poor image of where you live can be detrimental to individuals, communities, business and the sustainability of a place.”
Creative Concern will deliver the campaign over the coming months with images exhibited today featuring on the web and in printed campaign material.
Regional place brands have become an ever more contentious area in recent years. Purple Circle's John Lyle said place brands were a 'poisoned chalice' and told The Drum his agency “would never do another one again” after receiving a backlash for its Nottinghamshire identity in 2005.