The story of the Shining A, and its place in Antwerp – and city marketing – history began
innocuously enough. It was a mere blurb on a list-serv, as generic as any other digital
request for proposal, but when Harry Demey, owner of LDV United, an Antwerp
advertising agency, saw it his heart pumped faster. This was the proposal he had to have.
Harry, a born Antwerpenaar, loved his city. Since the early nineties, however, Antwerp
seemed less lovable. In 1991, the extreme right party, the Vlaams Blok, won one-third of
the city council vote. Though still a minority party, the Vlaams Blok dominated the
political landscape, media headlines and public discourse. Antwerp appeared inert, if not
dysfunctional.
In 2003, the so-called “Visa Affair” caused widespread anger when city administrators
were found to have used city credit cards for personal use. City aldermen resigned en
masse. Antwerp, normally known for diamonds and Rubens, was now linked to scandal in
the international press. The hubbub revealed a fractured, paralyzed, and inefficient city.
When the RFP went out in 2004, the city needed help.
The call asked specifically for: The formation of a clear strategic marketing and
communication plan for the city of Antwerp as well as the implementation of a number of
priorities in marketing and communication actions.
The deadline was in six weeks.
Demey and his LDV team set out methodically not only to win the campaign, but
ultimately to change the city’s zeitgeist.
Preparation
Assembling a sort of contemplative mood board, Demey and his agency examined some
of Antwerp’s long-held common views:
“Antwerp is the city of all cities.”
“Antwerp can be a little (very) irritating.”
“Antwerp is a divided city.”
These thoughts obscured deeper beliefs, and sifting through them, certain themes emerged.
Antwerp is ambitious; the city houses fans and objectors -- which results in an “us vs.
them” mentality.
Zeroing in on the “us vs. them” mentality was critical; defining this problem would lead to
a solution. If the city would speak with a single and distinct voice, Demey believed a
unified Antwerp would become the common denominator. Despite our differences, all
inhabitants share a connection to Antwerp.
Since communication from Antwerp would serve to bind its residents together, LDV
decided to use a positive sense of “we” to create a sense of solidarity: “Antwerp, that’s
who we are.” But who, exactly? The next step was to identify the audience. Demey and
team created a sequential target group of beneficiaries:
Mayor and City Council > City Marketing and Communication Team > City Employees >
Residents > Workers, Commuters, and Students > Recreational Visitors
While the ultimate goal was connecting with city residents, workers and visitors, the
mayor and city council were the first line of fire. Not only did they need to approve the
pitch, ultimately they were the force needed make it happen.
Regardless of which group was being addressed, the single voice incorporated key
elements. The tone of voice was deliberately crafted to sound:
adult active positive engaged transparent directed to all professional ambitious proud Demey and his agency believed speaking with these characteristics would enable Antwerp
to project warmth, authority and familiarity — factors that were essential to building trust
in an era skeptical of politicians.
Due diligence uncovered a branding quagmire that mirrored Antwerp’s chaos: Antwerp
had more than 150 logos in circulation! Each organization, institution or affiliate used its
own logo to represent Antwerp. With 150 different visions, 150 different interpretations
and 150 different strategies, unity started with a single logo. Demey and team worked on
48 versions before coming up with the Shining A.
“A” for Antwerp
At first glance, the Shining A logo stands for the first letter in the word Antwerp. It is also
a reference to the unique way Antwerpenaars speak. In Flanders, “you” is written and
pronounced “u,” like the oo in boot. In Antwerp vernacular, “u” is pronounced “a,” as in
answer. The Shining “A” was a clever nod to Antwerp dialect, using the A from Antwerp
to also mean you, and thus, “you = Antwerp” or we.
Traditionally, Antwerp has been linked to the colour red. By adding a halo of six orange
bars around a white sans-serif A against a red background, LDV created warmth and
optimism while blending historical cues. Compared to a rising sun, or the frenetic energy
of Keith Haring’s graffiti, the Shining A was both bold and vibrant.
Tying the logo to “a sense of we” required a slogan. Demey and LDV focused on a
baseline that could transform words into deeds. “The city” in Dutch is translated as “de
stad,” but Antwerpenaars are used to referring to Antwerp, as ‘t Stad, or THE city. It’s a
term that evokes Antwerp arrogance, as if saying Antwerp is the only city, but by adding
three more words “is van iedereen” LDV United nuanced the meaning to say “THE city
belongs to everyone.”
Armed with a logo and a baseline crafted from dialect and double meanings, and
noticeably more optimistic and inclusive, Demey and LDV went to work on the corporate
identity and brand architecture. A cohesive house style would prevent arbitrary
interpretation among the many institutions, organizations or affiliations that fell under city
jurisdiction like schools or the police.
LDV United incorporated the Shining A logo into marketing materials on five levels. The
Shining A remained the mother brand, and could be used as a stand alone in official city
communications, or in conjunction with independent entities like the library or park, or
complement a sub-brand, such as the bike share program, or co-brand next to the police
logo, or endorse private entities that work in tandem with the city to provide services, such
as senior housing.
Armed with the complete vision, strategy, identity and house-style guide, LDV United
submitted their proposal and were invited for the next round. The pitch had the makings of
a sketch comedy on government bureaucrats: unsmiling men seated at a table, ten serious
questions with poker-faced reactions. Weeks later, after budget reviews, business vetting,
and several weeks of radio silence, Demey received the call that sent the champagne corks
flying: they had won.
Once the thrill ebbed, the meticulous planning and elaborate brand architecture were
merely blueprints. Making the vision behind the Shining A happen needed heavy lifting -and serious team-building.
Implementation
Even though the Shining A, with its complete identity package and house-style guide, was
clear in terms of how to execute, the zero tolerance for creative license was unexpected.
After decades of free reign, LDV appeared out of nowhere with a new campaign and
Machiavellian control. However lofty the goal, or painstaking the preparation, the new
marketing strategy of one city, one voice was not always met with open arms.
Demey had a strategy to overcome the resistance: meetings. Dozens of them.
The first information sessions started with the mayor and city council, along with the
appropriate staff members. Each was briefed on the opportunities a cohesive marketing
strategy created and the importance of tight enforcement. In a few months, the city council
passed a ruling that gave legal teeth to the mandate. Compliance was no longer optional.
Demey started holding informational sessions with city business leaders and department
heads to explain the vision and roll-out. For the many branches of the city that lacked a
marketing budget, Demey’s team was a welcome sight. For the dozens of marketing heads
who succeeded in creating a professional look for a particular organization, LDV United
was a killjoy. In one fell swoop, LDV United ended their valiant efforts inside the citywide marketing vacuum.
Quickly, Demey and team began to see patterns develop in the info sessions and sorted the
attendees into three groups:
Category A: I understand the big picture, you can count on me.
Category B: I understand the big picture, I like what you are doing, but my
organization or department is different, so the rules do not apply.
Category C: How dare you tell me what to do!
People in Category A were content and meetings lasted roughly an hour. Those in
Category B understood the long-term strategy, but generally were more vested
emotionally in the communication strategy of the past. They required a second session and
could be won over with appeals to logic. Category C was the most difficult. Explaining the
vision, no matter how many times nor how detailed, would not work. In the end, those in
Category C were forced to comply thanks to the council edict, but not without loss. Many
left for other jobs.
Usually, a new logo and/or house-style are grounds for a celebratory unveiling. Demey
decided against the fanfare of a logo launch for two reasons:
1) The Shining A would become linked to the mayor and potentially politicized.
The raison d’être behind the Shining A was to trumpet the city as a whole, not
become the domain of one person.
2) The Shining A is just a logo -- a means not an end.
It was a challenging start, but within six months the logo appeared out of nowhere and was
visible across Antwerp.
While city employees were kept abreast of the hows and why of the roll-out, LDV United
worked on another front: the citizens of Antwerp. Demey was determined to make them
fans of the logo, too.
The obvious changes were carried out: letterhead, brochures, folders, nametags, and
website were either re-printed or re-published in the new house-style. A newsprint
magazine emblazoned with the Shining A across the cover was delivered to every business
and residential letterbox. The magazine, which featured pertinent municipal information
such as old Christmas tree pick-up or street closings, included free stickers.
Soon sayings with the double meaning of “A” were affixed to car windows and rucksacks.
“Crazy about you,” for example, also meant “Crazy about Antwerp.” Antwerp became
inundated with Shining As.
Safe and Clean
The new government sought to bring trust and stability to the city; safety and security
became priority tasks. According to social scientist James Q. Wilson, left unchecked,
broken windows can spiral into broken neighborhoods. Perceived dirtiness lowers city
morale and engagement. Antwerp wanted to combat negative perceptions by focusing on a
clean city. At the same time, it wanted to reassure inhabitants and make them feel safe.
Demey established firm boundaries with the city. The team at the city of Antwerp was the
expert on policy and urban planning; Demey and LDV United were the experts in
communication. The lines were firmly demarcated; no side was to cross them. It was an
effective partnership.
In 2006, there were 124 neighborhood police agents in Antwerp, each responsible for
approximately 3,800 families. The eyes and ears of the neighborhood, the neighborhood
police agent was the friendly go-to person in the event of non-emergencies. Somehow
many Antwerpenaars did not know a neighborhood police agent existed. If they did, the
agent’s name was unknown. The number one call to the police non-emergency line was
“Who is my neighborhood police agent?”
Introducing Antwerpenaars to their neighborhood police agent was Demey’s new task.
Residents would not only learn they had a neighborhood police officer – they would be
given the officer’s name. Second, connecting residents directly to the police would make
Antwerpenaars feel safer.
The city Antwerp got its name from the Roman fable about Brabo and a giant named
Antigoon who was preventing passage across the river Scheldt. Brabo cut off the giant’s
hand and threw it in the river. Antwerp is English for the Dutch Antwerpen, which comes
from hand + werpen, literally hand + throwing. Antwerp is often symbolized with a hand.
For example, the popular Antwerp handjes, cookies shaped like a hand, can only be found
in Antwerp.
Fortuitously for Demey, a hand is also used in greeting. Demey’s team made cards with a
photograph of an outstretched hand. The hand, die-cut and near actual size, unfolded as if
it was trying to grasp the reader’s palm. “Pleased to meet you” the hand read. Inside the
card was a smaller card, one of 124 different versions printed to correspond to each
resident’s neighborhood police officer. The smaller card had a photo of the officer, his or
her contact information and useful telephone numbers. A Shining A magnet was included
in the envelope to attach the card to the refrigerator.
Stamped with “Notice From Your Neighborhood Police Officer,” the envelope, with the
cards and magnet were hand-delivered to each letterbox. Not only did the officer feel
professionally recognized with the print work, but the personalization created a sense of
connection with the police. The results were staggering: the campaign had an 89%
awareness rate with 80% of the respondents finding the campaign useful.
The city spent more time and effort on cleanliness campaigns. Only one campaign – as a
result of research – emphasized the negative: Antwerpenaars wanted it known that
littering would be heavily fined. Other campaigns gave instruction. A folder, shaped like a
plastic bottle, was sent to every address as a recycling guide. In a motivational campaign,
waste removal workers were pictured holding brooms like Musketeers with the line “All
for one, and one for all,” substituting -- of course -- the Shining A for “all.” The result was
that Antwerp was only one of two Flemish cities where residents felt an improvement in
perceived dirtiness.
2012
Communication campaigns -- no matter how successful -- cannot override the thundering
and fickle force of politics. There were significant changes in the city attitude: a new year
event hosted by the city that once attracted 600 people, swelled three years later to 11,000
with people standing in line to collect free Shining A gear. Yet despite the love
Antwerpenaars felt for Antwerp, politics were dominated by the electoral mood of the rest
of the country that favored an insurgent party.
In 2012, the current mayor, and many council members, lost their third election bid. A
new regime entered, one that favored austerity, and budgets were slashed and adjusted.
LDV United’s contract with the city of Antwerp ended without much fanfare in January
2014.
Demey and team often think back wistfully to the day the call flickered across the
computer screen. There has been some solace in proving that city communication works.
Of course, other projects produce the exhilaration that comes with brainstorming new
strategy. But to an Antwerpenaar who wanted to change the mood of his city, few
campaigns are as meaningful.
No one can predict what direction the new government will take. Will they keep the logo?
Dispense with it? For the time being, the Shining A beams forth. And every Antwerpenaar
knows that “A” means you, too.
Harry Demey is the founder of LDV United, an advertising agency in Antwerp, Belgium
( part of WPP ). Recently he wrote the book Zot voor A (Crazy About Antwerp) that covers
10 years of city communication. Demey frequently gives presentations about the story of
the Shining A in French, Dutch, English, and naturally, Antwerp dialect.