June 21, 2006
Rather Be in Philadelphia? Pshaw
Oh, those advertising creative students are so imaginative! Students at Adhouse Advertising School developed a campaign of "edgy ads" to try to make the City of Brotherly Love attractive to New Yorkers. While this was just a student project, Gothamist has to give them props for the Hotel Chelsea poster. Philadelphia advertising agency owner Steve Grasse saw the ads and said, "It's all really brash and in your face. New York's full of s--- and it's phony. If Philly was smart they would have a real [campaign] to do it." Grasse would have wanted more about the Philly experience in the ads, but hey, why would those students go to Philly to try it out? Anyway, you can see all the ads here, and as Gridskipper points out - no Ben Franklin is anywhere. Will M. Night Shymalan be the next symbol of the city?
And Phillyist? It's on.
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Hmmm, uh, lemme see here.. oh yeah - grow up phillyfanatics - if the only way you can enjoy living in Philly is trying to say it's better than New York, I suggest you move to Paris.
NY is kind of bullshit. I mean, how can a city that requires a 6 figure income to survive be edgy?
"The true New Yorker secretly believes that anyone living anywhere else has got to be, in some sense, kidding." -John Updike
New York. Make it here or flee to a second rate city like the failure you are.
John Updike came of age here when NYC was not so damn affluent. Frank Rizzo, I'm kind of with you on this one. There's a conservatism that accompanies worrying about money all the time. New York appeals to me less and less as I get older.
And, no, I don't live in lower (below 125th Street) Manhattan or in the more precious areas of Brooklyn.
Top ten Philadelphia tourism slogans:
10. Remember New York when Dinkins was mayor? Come to Philadelphia and that will look like Giuliani Time!
9.Just like Newark, but without Sharpe James.
8.Slightly safer than Camden.
7.Our tourism TV spots make the Bob's Discount Furniture spots look like Shakespeare wrote them.
6.Proud home of the most drunk and stupid sports fans in the United States.
5.You'll rather be stuck on the N train.
4.Sorry we're closed for the evening.
3.Where NYC Taxis go do die.
2."This is AMERICA ... WHEN ORDERING SPEAK ENGLISH."
1.Hey? Where is my wallet.
Sorry, but if I turn out to be a failure, I'm moving to Brooklyn.
Philly: Show up to a concert without a ticket and buy one at the door.
Philly: A lawn AND a 20 minute commute.
haha, the subway one is cute.
although if i have learned anything from hanging out with art students, it's that they definitely need some grammar help. this ad campaign is no exception.
"you've defended it's honor in cities near and far"
try again, philedalphie!
I think that the Chelsea Hotel set (with the MOVE logo) is particularly interesting not only because of the play on Robert Indiana's iconic "Love" from the sixties but also because MOVE was the name of a group (cult?) that perhaps helped tarnish the city's reputation for brotherly love when the police decided to bomb their commune.
Thus, another slogan:
"Philadelphia--The Roof is on Fire!"
Okay - when wasn't New York affluent. If things got nasty here, it's because the whole nation was in decline.
People have been complaining about increases in living costs in New York City and the local death of artistic/creative culture since the 1880's when blocks of Greenwich Village were given over to "Bohemian Museums" - fake apartments with fake bohemians pretending to live "edgy" lifestyles for paying viewers.
Look it up.
The loss of something greater and more artistic, being priced out, an influx of money-hungry, talentless squares - these are complaints we've been hearing in NYC for over a century - which means like crime, grit, and money - there are some things that have been here and probably always will be. New York has always been the center of American affluence - to say that money is ruining New York is to ignore the market forces that created Grand Central Station, Central Park, the Chrysler Building, The West Village and the entire city.
Bottom line, shut up and love New York or shut up and go to Phillidelphia - but if you do, don't even try to compare that very nice city to New York. There are maybe five or six cities that could be called "world capitals". Philly ain't one.
"Top ten Philadelphia tourism slogans:
10. Remember New York when Dinkins was mayor? Come to Philadelphia and that will look like Giuliani Time!
9.Just like Newark, but without Sharpe James.
8.Slightly safer than Camden.
7.Our tourism TV spots make the Bob's Discount Furniture spots look like Shakespeare wrote them.
6.Proud home of the most drunk and stupid sports fans in the United States.
5.You'll rather be stuck on the N train.
4.Sorry we're closed for the evening.
3.Where NYC Taxis go do die.
2."This is AMERICA ... WHEN ORDERING SPEAK ENGLISH."
1.Hey? Where is my wallet."
-- I think the whole point was - Philly has edge and NY doesn't. You've said nothing to the contrary.
Hey easy on the Philly bashing. We're sensitive about our inferiority complex to NYC and DC-- the middle child of the Northeastern Corridor, if you will. And yes, we read Gothamist because, um, Phillyist sucks.
"Edge" = Crime?
"Edge" is sounding less and less appealing...
Frank Rizzo, New York has edge. I think you are confusing "edge" with high crime rate. When the Giuliani Time came the crime rate lowered. Isn't Frank Rizzo a mobster? That would sure explain why edge = high crime rate.
New York and Philly shouldn't even be squabbling. Both were once capitals of the US, both have very interesting histories, and both are great cities.
Philly is a great town and I love going for weekends, but I will always love, and therefore live, in NYC.
Stop hatin' on both cities.
And as far as those who bitch about prices, my wife and I pay $1500 for a spacious 1 bedroom in midtown.
How did we get it? Because we're both born and raised in NYC and we know people.
NYC has no edge - yeah, sure.
All you out-of-towners that move here and complain about everything should shut the fuck up and get out.
Tell me something, anything edgy about NY. Jesus even Harlem's got a bunch of pu$$ies living in it.
"And as far as those who bitch about prices, my wife and I pay $1500 for a spacious 1 bedroom in midtown.
How did we get it? Because we're both born and raised in NYC and we know people."
So, people who don't have long-standing connections are suckers who get priced out of the city? How "edgy."
New York is now hipster central and not much else these days.
A lot of faux-edgy people slinking around and striking poses.
Get out of NY? You don't own shit here with your $1500 rent.
Japanese people who have never been here who own property have more of a right to say who should and shouldnt live here....you f'ing endentured servant.
Samantha T - Just pointing out that it's "who you know" here which is a lot "edgier" than going to a bunch of real estate agents and constantly whining and moaning about a nostalgic less expensive time that you really don't even know. And yes, those that don't have long-standing connections and have to pay more than I do or don't get preferential treatment are suckers.
F. Rizzo - Do you even live in NYC? If so, why stay here if it's not "edgy"? Probably because you're just one of the many whiny-hipsters that thinks it's cool to be a contrarian. Get a life.
Anyone who wants to know how great New York is just needs to read Scott Fitzgerald. He summed it up best when he said "New York has all the effervescence of the beginning of the world."
Septa's old slogan: We're Getting There.
I think that's the best explination of Philly. All heart but totally incompetent.
Gotta love it though.
You had it right: F. Scott Fitzgerald *said* that, and I would have agreed with him.
He's dead now. Times change, y'know. There weren't random bag searches, anti-smoking laws, and people going apeshit over a sub-par hamburger stand plopped in the middle of a park back then.
C: Inferiority complex to DC? Please. DC sucks big time compared to Philly. Philly's the second best East Coast city. DC can't even hold a candle to Philly.
There also wasn't a fundamentalist group using airplanes as missiles, anonymass. You're right, times change, but New York will always be New York in whatever form it takes and that's why we love it.
hey Toby - #4 is what we used to say about philthy when we were in high school - hilarious!!
hawke is a wannabe pussy, he's one of the many reasons the chelsea has lost its edge.
'Philly, the Big Yawn"
as far as i'm concerned, new york is only missing one thing: a healthy rave scene. i like the music so much i moved to toronto to hear it. philly's rave scene is actually pretty strong right now. i've been there a few times for parties in the last couple of months and i have had a good time. the city feels nostalgic and we were even kicked out of the liberty bell :)
>>Samantha T - Just pointing out that it's "who you know" here which is a lot "edgier" than going to a bunch of real estate agents and constantly whining and moaning about a nostalgic less expensive time that you really don't even know. And yes, those that don't have long-standing connections and have to pay more than I do or don't get preferential treatment are suckers.
No, that's a sign of an out-of-control housing market. I could say that people that willingly overpay for small crappy apartments are suckers.
All this dick-wagging over housing obscures the very real problems of a city goverment increasingly obsessed with top-down development that caters to the rich and at the same time micromanaging every little facet of life.
The last time I went to Philly I was struck by the similarity between SEPTA's old slogan "We're Getting There"--it was during a transit strike--with Con Ed's slogan "We're On It"--as the only thing anyone else was getting on were electrified street grates. The subtext of both is "all right, we know we suck, but we're trying to improve."
I like Philly. It's not even comparable to NYC so equating the two are a little ridiculous. I will admit that it must be nice to live in a city with a vibrant social scene and live comfortably without making at least six figures. But if that's the most important thing to you, there are easily dozens of other mid-size cities around the country to choose from.
A better city to try to compare Philadelphia to would be Baltimore. They both have a similar je ne sais quois.
"F. Rizzo - Do you even live in NYC? If so, why stay here if it's not "edgy"? Probably because you're just one of the many whiny-hipsters that thinks it's cool to be a contrarian. Get a life."
Yes I do live here. And I am a yuppie that makes 6 figures (not a hipster - and by the way f u, I hate brooklyn even more that ny), and that's how I know it's not edgy here.
"and by the way f u, I hate brooklyn even more that ny"
last time i checked brooklyn was part of nyc. do you mean you hate it more than manhattan? or do you just need a lesson in how new york city and the 5 boroughs are structured?
A slight digression, but somewhat related:
New York Songlines
A website that tells the stories behind many streets in NY.
"I believe that anybody living anywhere upon the face of the globe, if they were to simply take the time and do the research, would find an incredible nest of wonders buried right where they were standing, right in their own backyard.
"I think that all too often, in the 21st Century, and throughout the 20th Century, we tend to spend our everyday existence walking along streets or driving along streets that we have no real understanding of, even if we see them everyday, and they just become fairly meaningless and bleak blocks of concrete, whereas, if you happen to know that such-and-such a poet was incarcerated inside an asylum upon this street or that such-and-such a murder happened here or that such-and-such a fabulous, legendary queen is buried in this vicinity: all of these little stories, it makes the places that we live much richer if we have a knowledge of these things.
"All of a sudden, you're not walking down mundane, dull, everyday streets anymore, you're walking down fabulous avenues full of wonderful ideas and incredible stories."
--Alan Moore, "Five Questions for Alan Moore"
"No matter how long you have been here, you are a New Yorker the first time you say, That used to be Munsey's, or That used to be the Tic Toc Lounge.... You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now."
--Colson Whitehead, The Colossus of New York
F Rizzo - So makin' 6 figures makes you an expert on what's hot and edgy. Please. Obviously the amount of money you make doesn't make you any more intelligent. My original point was that if you have such a detest for where you are, why stay? Especially since you can obviously afford to go wherever you want.
You tell me to fuck myself and that I'm a fucking endentured servant - can't think of anything "edgier"?
hahaha Bob's Discount Furniture. I want to meet the guy who conceptualizes those ads and eat whatever chemicals they're poisoning themselves with.
Anyway, NYC is as phoney and shallow as LA, but worse because people think they're REAL - at least in LA everyone knows everyone's full of shit.
"last time i checked brooklyn was part of nyc. do you mean you hate it more than manhattan? or do you just need a lesson in how new york city and the 5 boroughs are structured?"
I had a feeling someone would bring this up and believe me...no one ever said "I'm going to New York City or 'The CIty'" and eneded up in Staten Island. Stop kidding yourself.
the bob's discount ads are absolutely fucking brilliant!
these ads were pretty good too. philly's a nice town. if my wife got a job there, i'd feel a lot better moving there than, say, 'merica in general.
Proof that F. Rizzo is a New York newbie and doesn't know shit:
He said "in Staten Island"
'Nuff said.
You know, the NY vs. Philly question seems different than NY vs. Chicago or NY vs. San Fran. I just don't feel right beating on Philly. Philly seems like a cool little brother to NY, unlike Chicago and San Fran who definitely try to one-up New York but ultimately fail.
The problem with the ads is that they only point out what's wrong with New York, not what's good about Philly. I seem to recall that Democrats tried a similar approach in their ads for the 2004 presidential election. And we all know too well what happened from that. Bad advertising can actually kill. (Sorry, that's a whole other can of worms.)
While the ads definitely did a good thing by getting so much press (saw it in Metro this morning), there is a flaw. A big flaw. Even Steven Grasse (the Philly-based ad guy who the ads were presented to) saw the flaw. He said, "It's not specific to Philly. People can say 'Yeah, it's a third cheaper, but it's Philly,' I want to know who moved there and their experience."
The ads need to feature Philly's equivalent of the legendary Chelsea hotel. They need to talk about Philly's version of the Bowery. They need to talk about Philly's CBGB. They don't. You could switch "Philly" with "Omaha" and the ads would be just as empty. The ads need to give us meat, and they don't any meat. Tell us WHY Philly is better.
These ads don't make the cut by New York advertising standards. Which by the way, if you want to work in the world of big-shot advertising, you really do have to live in New York because all the big agencies are located here, ironically.
Also, the MOVE type treatment was plagiarized from the LOVE logotype. I'd give the students an F for ripping that off for no relevant parody value.
~~advertising critic
Say what you want in your ad, but for the love of God, at least be grammatically correct:
"You've defended IT'S honor"
Does no one remember that "its" is the possessive? I mean, really. How convincing can you be when you look like an idiot?
FYI, the MOVE logo is a play on LOVE Park in Philly, so it makes perfect sense. http://www.ushistory.org/lovepark/index.htm
"Proof that F. Rizzo is a New York newbie and doesn't know shit:
He said "in Staten Island"
'Nuff said."
Sorry for using proper grammer. Would you like me to stop using the letter R to show you how many years I've lived here as well?
Where do you hang out? It's not a question of grammar. It's hilarious that you're spewing shit like some well-versed New Yorker who knows this town up and down, and yet you make a faux pas that's almost as bad as calling Houston Street "hyew stan street." Face it, you don't know what you're talking about. Look at the 54 thousand supposedly "improper" uses of grammar on the nytimes archives and tell me that again. You wouldn't know about underground shit in New York if it slapped you in the face. You don't even notice *above*ground shit in New York. People like you should leave. Ingrate.
I love New York (and I live in Brooklyn). New York is amazing. But if you're coming to New York for a certain kind of lifestyle--artsy, NPR-listening, living-in-lofts-painting, writing, making music, etc.--then I'm not sure you'll find it without a trust fund or a pretty hard core day job. The fact is that New York is very, very, very expensive. While the city is still wonderful, the cost of living makes it harder to create or find that lifestyle that New York still evokes. So basically, I agree with Samantha T--there's a certain loss of joie de vivre and experimentalism that accompanies the reality of living in such an expensive place.
Isn't Frank Rizzo a mobster? That would sure explain why edge = high crime rate.
[14] Posted by: Giuliani Time | June 21, 2006 04:44 PM
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Frank Rizzo was the long-time mayor of Philadelphia.
And as far as those who bitch about prices, my wife and I pay $1500 for a spacious 1 bedroom in midtown.
How did we get it? Because we're both born and raised in NYC and we know people.
[16] Posted by: JP Lynch | June 21, 2006 05:01 PM
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Why did you feel the need to include this point and what do you think it says about you?
The artists aren't leaving New York for Philly. They're leaving New York for Berlin, Germany. It's WAY cheaper than Philly, and has a LOT more going on.
New York will always be New York in whatever form it takes and that's why we love it.
[26] Posted by: MT | June 21, 2006 06:08 PM
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Really? Nothing can change it in a way that will make it less than it is/was? Hmm. Sounds a lot like "America, Right or Wrong" and other unthinking notions. (Actually, the frequent "get the fuck out" comments on Gothamist are a lot like "America: Love It or Leave It".)
I'm a native New Yorker. I've lived elsewhere. Spent substantial amounts of time not just in other American cities but elsewhere in the world.
I still think New York is the best city I know. And it could be better for me if I took better advantage of it. But, in another sense, it isn't that great. It is NOT every aphorism and slogan from across the generations, brandished by enthusiasts who cling to New York as their identity the way some people cling to their chosen team in their chosen sporting event
Get real.
(Oh, and it would be a lot closer to its greatness of legend if we didn't simply accept every affront to our town that its business and political "leaders" hurl our way.)
as far as i'm concerned, new york is only missing one thing: a healthy rave scene. i like the music so much i moved to toronto to hear it. philly's rave scene is actually pretty strong right now. i've been there a few times for parties in the last couple of months and i have had a good time. the city feels nostalgic and we were even kicked out of the liberty bell :)
[28] Posted by: kevin Bracken | June 21, 2006 06:38 PM
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Cool raves and kicked out of the Liberty Bell too?
Man, you're edgy.
("Edge", by the way, is the highest aspiration of mankind.)
Frank Rizzo was a mayor of Philly. And a mobster.
Just another way Philly desperately tries to imitate NY.
And I always thought Philly was part of NY. Isn't it the sixth boro or something?
Funny, I thought New Jersey was refered to as the sixth borough. I have also heard Long Island refered to as such.
And yes, Frank Rizzo is in the mob.
Now have you ever seen the TV news down there?
It is quite funny, in both the good and bad way.
There is a 1970s themed newscast, complete with Ron Burgundy like anchor. Then there is one with the former host of Access Hollywood and a Liz Cho clone and on another chanel there is Vince "Yes, I am really an ATF agent, honest!" DeMentri who got fired from WCBS for that little stunt. They have nothing like Chuck and Sue there!
I know/know of more than a few people who have moved to Philly over the past year or so.
We'll see how much longer it remains affordable.
In response to #43, I can see your point, Mike, but I should clarify what I meant by my dislike of the MOVE (LOVE) logotype usage.
Every ad needs a proper call to action, and this one is presented in an esoteric, illegible fashion, and makes a "clever" reference that only Philadelphians would feel good about. A New Yorker looking at the ad wouldn't feel a gut reaction to the LOVE logotype, compared to, for example, a parody such as I [HEART] PHILLY written like I [HEART] NY. The audience is a New Yorker, and the ad needs to strike a chord with a New Yorker. For the purposes of these ads, who cares what a Philadelphian thinks of it.
The call to action is hidden. The "move to Philly" c.t.a. needs to be as bold as the catchy headline content, because the goal of the ad is to get the viewer to act, and that action is to actually move to Philly, not visit Philly, or think about Philly.
These ads simply say "New York stinks. By the way, Philly is the edge of New York." What does that mean? What does edge mean? What? An unclear message and goal is a telltale sign of a bad ad.
Aside from the hook, the call to action should convey "Philly has what YOU are looking for, and New York does NOT have that. Move TO Philly to FIND what you are looking for."
And it's very challenging to say that in a couple words, and to convince a New Yorker. These were made by students after all.
~~advertising critic
Proof that F. Rizzo is a New York newbie and doesn't know shit:
He said "in Staten Island"
'Nuff said.
[39] Posted by: Bickle | June 22, 2006 03:14 PM
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Yes, Frizzo has revealed himself to be some 57 varieties of idiot. But native New Yorkers do say this. (It's "on Long Island", though.)
Channel 9's Rolland Smith tonight told of a trip to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and how rude the security people were.
Now that's cutting edge reporting, New York style.
Cause, ya know, there's a real shortage of rude government contracted employees in NY.
It was actually from his commentary peice. See, at one time TV stations used to have commentary peices as part of their newscasts as a means to sort of mimic a newspaper. The practice is basically dead. In a way the were sort of like blogging.
I moved here from London. Spent 7 years in Boston. I finally got wise(r) and moved to Philly. I've been here 9 months looking to move to NYC. Yes in Philly people are working hard to make it a cool place. Good for them. The same people, all the time. It gets a bit, well, tedious. What Philly, and every city, needs are places that open for a year then get replaced by new ideas (sorry if you owned that business). The days of institutions are over. keep moving...
but we always feel the party is somewhere else...
Looking at that subway map one again got me thinking - Subway service to Staten Island, as that is where the lines appear they would wind up.
You people are all weird. Most of these comments (with the exception of ~~advertising critic's) are about as useful as arguing that blue is better than green, with purple holding a strong third place. Geez.