Step into Nottingham’s Market Square and you might notice something a little bit different.
As the city awaits to hear the results of whether or not its bid to be European Capital of Culture has progressed to the next stage, the area has recently been decorated with Nottingham 2023 branding.
Designed by Nottingham-based strategic marketing and creative design agency, RizkMcCay, the branding, which uses the official Place Brand, mirrors the diversity, creativity and forward-thinking nature of the city.
Nadia Rizk, creative director at RizkMcCay, explained the creative thinking behind the design and branding to support the bid’s themes. She said: “Using the dynamic arrow and incorporating the colours of all the sectors that sit within the city’s identity, we have created a bold, no nonsense design that complements the key messages of the bid.
“Built with simplicity in mind, the typography is clear and concise, supported by iconic images of the people of Nottingham to celebrate our city’s fantastic cultural identity.”
Director Helen Andrews feels that Nottingham is ready for European Capital of Culture status. She said: “I think Nottingham is going through such an exciting period and it would be a huge accolade for the city to achieve this prestigious title.”
“We’re currently celebrating 15 years in business and in that time, we have had the opportunity to work with some wonderful clients on a regional, national and international basis. We’ve enjoyed being part of the creative process whilst working on the bid and we’re hoping to see the city go through to the next stage.”
RizkMcCay, commissioned by the Nottingham 2023 ECOC Bid team to work with official place marketing organisation Marketing NG, also designed the bid book that was hand-delivered to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on Friday 27 October.
Paul Russ, chair of the Nottingham 2023 bid board is proud to now see the Nottingham 2023 branding displayed across the city. He said: “Seeing Market Square draped in the bid’s branding is something special and I feel incredibly pleased that the people of Nottingham have come out in force to show their support.
“RizkMcCay have done an excellent job creating a brand that matches the core messages of our submission, and it makes me feel incredibly proud every time I see the posters.”
The last UK city to hold the title as European Capital of Culture was Liverpool in 2008. In this year alone, additional visits to the city and surrounding areas generated more than £750 million for the local economy.
In 2023 both Hungary and the UK will host a European Capital of Culture.
