Brussels launches new international branding under banner ‘Perfectly imperfect’

The Brussel-Capital Region, together with the private sector and the world of academia, has joined forces to launch a new marketing initiative for the city.

Under the banner “Perfectly imperfect”, the BRUSSELS branding is accompanied by a series of messages for the public and private sectors to promote the capital on the international stage.

The campaign was unveiled at the Brussels Urban Summit on Thursday by a host of city politicians and figures. They included minister-president Rudi Vervoort, minister Sven Gatz, former secretary of state for foreign trade Pascal Smet and Brussels mayor Philippe Close. Joining them were Brussels’s chamber of commerce (Beci) president Annick Hernot and Lynn Tytgat of VUB’s strategy unit.

The message "Perfectly imperfect" refers to the local expression "no maybe" in a nod to the self-mockery that traditionally characterises Brusseleers, said Jeremie Feinblatt of the Resonances agency, which is behind the marketing strategy.

As a slogan, it also reflects the diversity of contemporary Brussels and its cosmopolitan population.

“In Brussels, We Dare You to Be Yourself”

On a wider level, the new brand strategy “In Brussels, We Dare You to Be Yourself” underlines Brussels' authenticity. It followed an 18-month process that included the input of local citizens.

While the reputation of the capital on the international scene is considered good, city stakeholders believe it is still often blurred. The objective of the new brand strategy is to give a coherent image of Brussels for foreign audiences.

“For the first time, we are really going to position Brussels in the world. Because the whole world knows Brussels, but not many people know what we really stand for,” said Smet.

A ‘brand toolkit’ has been created aimed at telling the story of Brussels with one voice. It consists of tools and guidelines for anyone wishing to promote the capital abroad.

“With our new brand, we want to improve the image that our international audience of tourists, investors, businesses, associations, students and so on has of Brussels, and by the same token, support the economic growth in our region,” added Gatz.

The new campaign is reserved for international audiences. The iris, the current floral symbol of the Brussels Region will continue to be used on a local and national level.

A total of €600,000 was invested in the launch of the brand and a similar budget will be devoted to the campaign each year.

Photo: From left: Brussels mayor Philippe Close, former state secretary Pascal Smet, minister-president Rudi Vervoort, minister Sven Gatz, Beci president Annick Hernot and VUB strategy unit’s Lynn Tytgat ©Belga/James Arthur Gekiere