Toronto Unlimited by London Unlimited

13 months, 250 interviews, 4,500 contributions from Torontonians, 14 focus groups in 3 countries. All this to tell the world the Toronto story.

All that, and 4 million dollars down the sewer, and the mega-city has announced Toronto Unlimited to tell the Toronto story.

Toronto has become a city built in the image of its own people, fed by the many influences of its ever-changing human fabric, one that is constantly unfolding and alive with potential and energy.

Torontonians display a level of openness unlikely in any city, let alone a city of Toronto’s size and magnitude. It is metropolitan, yet it feels as intimate as a village. Its welcoming spirit has attracted millions of people from all corners of the world, making up a deep and culturally rich human mosaic. Toronto doesn’t have a Chinatown, it has three of them. It doesn’t just have a Caribbean festival, it has the largest one outside of the Caribbean. Toronto isn’t just diverse, it’s the most diverse city in the world. Toronto is a culture of cultures, a place of infinite opportunities where everybody is appreciated for how they stand out, not for how they fit in. Torontonians don’t look to settle their differences, they are inspired by them. Torontonians celebrate humanity.

What makes Toronto such a uniquely interesting place is answered by a constantly growing list: its innovative architecture, its theatre district, the hundreds of ethnic restaurants, the character of its neighborhoods, its accepting legislation, a multi-talented workforce, museums that are themselves works of art, the stories of its street corners, its cleanliness, the International Film Festival, the parks, the lake, the celebration of humanity. . . In short, Toronto is a city built with and for the limitless imaginations of the people that come here. And it is these people that make Toronto the city of imagination.

A true City of Tourism, Toronto is the perfect place for the traveler seeking a unique urban experience. With so much to offer the imagination, Toronto has become the City of Business, a place where the diversity of the population creates possibility. This also makes it the perfect City of Meetings as the city has always been an ideal gathering place.

Not everyone is happy with the logo, the tagline or the branding concept.

Technical critiques aside, it's shameful that the Toronto Unlimited choice was lifted directly from the recent campaign for London England, unremarkably, London Unlimited. (Not as memorable as "I love New York", apparently, so up for grabs.) Interbrand was behind the recent London Unlimited and Welcome to Estonia tourism campaigns.

For my tax dollars, I'd rather the branding team for Toronto, led by Brand Architecture International, had ripped off Interbrand's "Welcome" idea, instead. At least that would have been consistent with Toronto's character. According to a United Nations report, Toronto has the second-highest proportion of immigrants in the world. Almost half of Toronto's residents were born outside Canada.

The resulting cultural diversity is reflected in the numerous ethnic neighbourhoods of the city; and the proliferation of authentic shops and restaurants derived from cultures around the world makes the city one of the most exciting places in the world to visit. Moreover, the relative tranquility that mediates between such diverse populations is a testament to the tolerant character of Canadian society.

And Toronto Tourism already has the Welcome poster for the campaign that articulates best the brand that Toronto lives and breathes.