Brand new campaigns to support city out of lockdown

A brand new website and promotional campaign will help power up Sunderland's economic recovery, as the city looks to get on the front-foot post-lockdown. 

A distinctive new look and feel for City of Sunderland - that features the red and white colour palette so strongly associated with the area - will be rolled out across a new 'mysunderland.co.uk' website, and tourism and investment campaign, to help showcase the best of the city.  

Incorporating a contemporary take on Sunderland's coat of arms, a new city logo will be used alongside striking new images of the city that shine a spotlight on the spaces, places and assets that make this a great place to live, work and play.  Adopted by partners across Sunderland, the logo will feature in a range of campaigns that will target people both in the city and outside of it, to make the most of the area's great places, as well as sharing a confident message to investors and businesses looking to make Sunderland their base. 

And to help them learn more about the city, a new feature website - mysunderland.co.uk - brings together the city's visitor and investment offer in one place, housing information about Sunderland, guides and brochures, and case studies and stories to inspire people who visit it to see what the city has to offer.

It is hoped through the new visual identity, website and associated campaigns, that businesses in the area can be supported as they emerge from the Covid pandemic, driving the visitor economy through effective promotion, and encouraging more businesses to open their doors in the city.  

The identity has been co-created by Sunderland City Council along with a range of stakeholders from, and with an interest in, the city including Sunderland Business Partnership - a collective of 50 businesses - Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID), Gentoo, the University of Sunderland, Sunderland College and Sunderland AFC.  It is based on insight and feedback from people from Sunderland too, with local firms having helped to garner insight to inform the look and feel of the new look and promotional materials.  

Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, one of the partners that has already started to incorporate the new-look logo into its materials, said: "Sunderland is famed for its resilience and that has shone through during the pandemic, with the city centre bearing up well during the Covid crisis. 

"As we come through this, and see the country open back up, we must be ready to seize the opportunity and I think this new look gives us a fantastic platform to build upon, along with tangible new materials like the website and collateral to direct people to.  Despite the challenges of 2020 and the year so far, we have seen some incredible new businesses emerge in the heart of the city - from new restaurants and cafes like Undisclosed and Spentgrain, to new independents in Mackie's Corner. 

"Teamed with the transformation underway at Riverside Sunderland, there is so much positivity right now, and this new look - shared through high-impact campaigns - will give the whole city the opportunity to shout proudly about what we have to offer."

The new look will be used in a range of materials, both in the city - on hoardings and signage around Sunderland - as well as on promotional material that is used outside Sunderland to attract visitors and investors.  New imagery and videography has also been captured to bring to life the special places that Sunderland has to offer. 

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "The pandemic has reconnected people to some of the fantastic assets that Sunderland boasts.  From our blue flag beaches, to our green parkland and our beautiful parks and play-spaces for families. 

"As our retail and hospitality businesses reopen, and restrictions are eased, we are determined to support our traders and the city at large to emerge from the pandemic on the strongest footing.  The new brand gives us a fresh look and will, I believe, help people to see the city in a new light as it transforms, thanks to hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in our city centre, seaside and surrounding areas.

"The city is undergoing huge change and a new look for Sunderland underlines our commitment to redefining our offer as a place to live, work and play, attracting people and businesses to this fantastic part of the world."

To see the new look, visit www.mysunderland.co.uk