The Biggest Little City in the World 2.0
I’d just like to go on record to say that I predict that our longtime slogan/tagline is cool. Reno is the Biggest Little City in the World.
Despite what some people would have you believe, Reno’s “Biggest Little City” tagline kicks ass. It’s way cool. Timeless cool. The downtown Reno Arch which incorporates the slogan is even cooler. Standing under the arch from 11pm to 5am Sunday night for the Modest Mouse video shoot, (Modest Mouse, Little Motel) I was yet again impressed with the unique and lasting icon that the Reno Arch is…and the brand that it assists in representing. Tacky at times. Vintage old-school casino. Visually iconic. Set and centered among a defining skyline. Global recognition. A timeless retro-look. Way f’n cool.
Yeah, there’s a lot of people who feel “embarrassed” by it, or perhaps it’s not “cool” like Metronatural (cough, not that there’s anything wrong with that) or that it’s too “old” or “typography challenged”. Incidentally, these are the folks that you won’t find downtown. They’re huddled up in South Reno at Chili’s bitching about how we don’t have a Nordstroms or our museum doesn’t compare to the MOMA in SF or NY (duh, what does?).
I’ve always liked the Reno Arch. When you say “Reno” to people, you always get a distinct reaction — good or bad. From a branding perspective, that’s good. Brands that illicit strong reactions are at least not milktoast.
The Reno Arch is the first thing I saw as I rolled off the Amtrak in 1988 headed to college. There’s actually been three Reno Arch’s: The first was constructed in 1926 to celebrate completion of the transcontinental highways, the Lincoln and Victory (and modified in the 1930s to incorporate the city’s slogan). It was replaced in 1963 and, again, in 1987. Origins of the slogan vary but most historians believe it was adopted in the 1920s as part of a chamber of commerce promotion.
From a popularity decline, I think it’s bottomed out. Californication has slowed. All the relocated tax-evading SUV driving Californians that are too “cool for it” are being mitigated in the overall brand conversation. The popularity resurgence is just around the corner. I can sense it. I feel it. And I’m not alone.
- Scotty Dunseath figured it out and gave us Reno eNVy. He’s proud. He has swagger. I love Reno eNVy just as much I as love watching Reno 911. (Note: Too bad Reno 911 is filmed in Bakersfield instead of actually being filmed here! That shouldn’t fly…we need to get Reno 911 to actually shoot here…but I digress…)
Here’s TEN — count them — 10 reasons why predict The Biggest Little City in the World 2.0 is on the upswing:
- It’s true. Looking out at the Reno skyline with all the new construction cranes and all the lit-up casinos, it really is a BIG little city. There’s bike piles in frot of bars larger than you’ll see in SF. Our airport — because of gaming — is like 10x bigger than what it should be.
- The downtown up-and-coming urban core is only getting cooler and cooler. (When the custom Reno Bike Project bike racks hit the bars, it will be even more cooler.)
- Reno is a population dense city. We pack a lot of folks in a small space. (That means we’re a greener-than-thou city.) A lot of people live in a small footprint. As the downtown core continues to go up and up (like New York, Chicago or San Francisco), our density will increase. As density increases, so does arts, culture, community and coolness.
- For a city of our population, we have the dining, entertainment, air service and transient tourist population of a city 5-10 times our size.
- The River Park on hot and balmy summer Sunday afternoons is getting a kinda nature-ghetto-groove…it’s an awesome paradox in front of your eyes.
- Reno is actually more West than Los Angeles because of the curvature of the coastline. (OK, that was weak, but I think there’s something too that.)
- We have the gosh-dang mofo National Bowling Stadium. They filmed KingPin here. ’nuff said. The Taj Mahal of bowling in here. A billion bowlers over the next century will visit Reno. That creates a cosmic energy that no one — not even Toronto being Canadian and all — can ever re-create.
- We have a litany nutty and strange special events downtown to party and get silly at.
- It’s you’re last stop before Burning Man. It’s your first stop after Burning Man.
- Fernando Leal just bought the Fitzgeralds. I bet he guts it and renovates it to be something cooler than the Clift in SF. His Montage project is his opening act in this town. He has that southside Chicago swagger that gets’r done! I can hardly wait…
Sure, are there folks that don’t have the swagger in them to LOVE Reno…and many more are embarrassed to be affiliated with a definitive icon of Western cheese and cachet culture? Yeah, and they love to shop at the Sierra Summit and fondle their wine collections in their 5,000 sq.ft. homes in Arrowcreek while bitching that we haven’t perfectly cloned the downtown Santa Monica retail district like Phoenix has. Great for them. As their growth-rate slows, their relevance in the brand-bashing will subside and those of us that see this town for it’s collection weird hip strange tweekerness will prevail.
For the revitalized downtown urban core that is getting younger and cooler by the day — especially as the people-who-don’t-like-to-have-any-fun crowd — moves out to the suburbs to shop at Old Navy at Sierra Summit and enjoy the “quiet life”, The Biggest Little City as a brand and as a life is being re-born for a new generation to steward. For the tax base that means god news. Higher ADR’s downtown means more room taxes and more marketing might for the city. Very cool.
Final kicker: For too long too many people Reno marketers have felt it necessary to glom on to the “Lake Tahoe” brand. Over the next ten years, I think that it will reverse itself and Lake Tahoe will become as much–if not more–dependent upon Reno. As it becomes impossible to even mow your lawn without a permit from the TRPA and Tahoe inevitably turns in to another Park City-Vail-Sun Valley-Jackson-Mammoth clone losing it’s Frank Sinatra uniqueness, Reno will surpass Tahoe in many aspects of cool.
Anyway, just putting my thoughts down so I can blog a big ‘ol “I told you so” post in two years. hahaha
Technorati tags: reno, nevada, branding, marketing, destination, icon, culture, arch
Comments
By Kat on May 30th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Welcome to the Biggest Little City in the World, dang it I wish I wrote this post. Reno is the best….art, business, music, bringing up a family and fun. We have everything to offer.
The 7 reasons, hit it on the spot although reason #7 was something new…and the desire for a 4000 sq ft home, the thought of even cleaning one makes me shiver.
By Greg Fibiger on May 30th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
RIGHT-ON, Dave!!! I read this and completely felt the relevence of every word, as I’m now a part of the new, young influx that’s truly feeling the magic and possibilities contained within the “biggest little city.”
Just a few days ago I relocated to my awesome new apartment in the old southwest district and am absolutely THRILLED to be a part of this all! My neighborhood is lush, tree-lined, birds are singing all over the place, and my neighbors are varied and great. Bikes are more commonly passing by than cars and locals report that parked cars are rarely, if never, toyed with in the area. I sit out on my stoop, talking with passer-bys and just smiling endlessly, truly happy to be where I am at this point in my life.
This past holiday weekend I was wandering around the whitewater park, a mere 8-minute walk from my pad, and was truly impressed by the amount of activity. Sunbathing, rafting, biking, reading, tubing, picnicking, frisbeeing, guitar-playing …. there were even a bunch of guys WAKESKATING down the river and kickflipping over a rock rapid with the aid of a motorized ski-rope-pulling mechanism that I’d never even dreamed of before — it was truly inspiring! (The plentiful girls in bikinis didn’t hurt one little bit either!)
Life is good, and I can foresee myself spending quite a few years and a lot of enjoyment helping my new home to grow and get better and better. Thank you so much for being one of the people who inspired me to look a little closer and realize what I great opportunity was existing right beneath my nose. CHEERS!!! Let’s go get some lunch one of these afternoons and I’ll buy you a beer!
By wolfy on May 30th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
That was the best rant I’ve read in a while.
You’re definitely right about Tahoe.
And Bakersfield has an arch too! It’s at the Buck Ownes Crystal Palace!
-M
By Robert Payne on May 31st, 2007 at 9:26 am
I smell pride, and it is good.
By David LaPlante on May 31st, 2007 at 9:47 am
Greg, great to have you down in Reno from Tahoe! Ride by the house for a beer sometime. Logan was stoked to hear you moved down here!
Thanks everyone for the comments!
By Jason Aloia on June 15th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Watch that pendulum swing! What was uncool becomes cool once again.
What a kick! Cities all over the country are dropping millions trying to coin themselves (“Metronatural,†“City with Sol,†“Porkopolis†NO, REALLY!). And here we are, turning our noses up at a slogan that carries weight worldwide!
When did Reno allow itself to become uncool, anyhow? How and when did that happen? Yeah, downtown’s a bit roughneck and seedy. Sure, the casinos are less obtuse than those down South. Would someone please help me understand what’s not cool about Reno?!
The Biggest Little City in the World … I’ll take it over Porkopolis any day!
Fantastic essay, Dave!
By Scott Frost on June 25th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Great to see Reno starting to explore its true potential. The new gaming inventory coming to Reno with the Station Casnio and Olympia Gaming projects will raise the bar on current operators and give reno residents new entertainment options. I hope Reno keeps up the momentum!
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