Fresno, Calif., rebrands itself but shuns labels

By Valerie Gibbons, USA TODAY

FRESNO — The hit animated comedy movie Monsters vs. Aliens this spring featured a husband trying to convince his wife that moving to Fresno was better than moving to Paris. The conversation was a running joke throughout the film.

This fall, a Toyota Prius ad, which aired briefly before being pulled after vigorous complaints from the city, showed two people in a Prius in a future where "gas stations will become nothing more than low-budget tourist stops. Like ghost towns ... or Fresno."

For decades, Fresno has been a punch line, a city maligned on the national stage for everything from its smog and crime, to its hot weather and reputation as a bastion of the un-hip.

The city is fighting back, starting with a $1.2 million marketing campaign with the slogan: "Be World-Class. Be Fresno."

The campaign, in part a response to the down economy that made promoting the city more important than ever, is geared toward creating a brand identity for the city for both business travelers and tourists, touting its proximity to national parks and its small-town atmosphere, says Jeff Eben, president of the Fresno City and County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We're not telling our own story," he said. "We need to go fight." More here.