Evening Times begins Glasgow marketing campaign anniversary celebrations
This week, the Evening Times will be running a series of features to celebrate 25 years on for one of Scotland’s most successful marketing campaigns.
It’s been 25 years since the launch of Glasgow Smile’s Better, featuring Mr Man character Mr Happy, which changed the perception of the city from its ‘No Mean City’ image to a friendlier and more attractive place.
Over the course of the week, The Evening Times journalist, Iain Lundy will explore the success of the campaign, from it’s origins when John Struthers and his 14 year old son devised the idea while on the London tube to the impact that it eventually made upon the city.
Lundy told The Drum; "It's 25 years ago this week since the campaign was launched so we're doing three articles looking back plus your piece about the up-to-date slogans as a day four."
He continued, "We're looking at the reasons why the slogan came into being, the massive promotional efforts by those in power at the time and its eventual
demise as well as some of the less successful slogans that have succeded
it.
"It was undoubtedly the most successful marketing camnpaign Glasgow has
ever seen and one of the most successful worldwide. Mr Happy stickers
found their way all over the globe and it put Glasgow on the map for
positive rather than negative reasons."
The first part features in today’s issue of the Evening Times.