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Michael Kelly: O! How a motto can really take off!
BY Michael Kelly
WORLD-HERALD STAFF COLUMNIST
City slogans come and go, and some folks were skeptical when Omaha
announced a nonslogan - O!
Click to Enlarge
That's all. A symbol, an emblem, a mark. A logo. A single letter,
followed by an exclamation point, punctuating the city's attempt to
present itself in a positive, exciting light.
"The Story of O" was an erotic novel. Few expected there would be a
kind of civic sex appeal in the story of O!
If past promotional efforts had fallen flat - such as "Rare. Well
done." - O! has turned out to be well-rounded. A year and a half after
it was announced, it has caught on, with no signs of being ditched.
"It's simple, it's eye-catching, it's easy to embrace and utilize,"
said Molly Skold of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. "The O!
campaign has just taken off. I was in a meeting recently and heard
executives say there's been an O!-plosion."
It turned out not to be a dud. Some might say that's oh-so-surprising.
The campaign's Web site is www.ososurprising.com, a name chosen not
because the chamber and its partners were surprised at the success of
O! Rather, it refers to outsiders' surprise when they find what Omaha
has to offer.
"I'm new to Omaha," said Molly, who came from Chicago two years ago
with husband Karl Skold, a ConAgra vice president. "This is such a
surprising community - the amount of philanthropic activity, the
educational institutions and all there is to do. The zoo, the quality
of life. I couldn't love it more."
At our annual festival that's the NCAA College World Series, which
brings lots of visitors, items with the O! logo are being sold in the
big tent outside Rosenblatt Stadium.
An O! store at the campaign Web site offers many items with the logo -
pens, polo shirts, pullover jackets, ties, sweaters, mugs, key rings
and the like.
But the success of the campaign, Molly said, is measured more by its
acceptance and wide usage in the community.
Arts groups use the symbol. The Children's Museum will adapt it to
promote its coming dinosaur attraction. The Upstream Brewery is
launching an O! beer. A recent family reunion of 200 people tied
together an O! theme.
Neighborhood associations and the public library use it. The election
commissioner's "I voted today" stickers featured the O!
The Grucci Brothers even figured out how to display an exploding O! for
the World-Herald Fireworks Night after the July 3 Omaha Royals game at
Rosenblatt.
According to Molly, "They said the exclamation point was the stumbling
block."
For any community, the exclamation point is always the stumbling block.
It's the hard part - the something extra, the spark and the sparkle,
that makes a place attractive for residents and visitors alike.
Omaha endures problems and controversies like any other city. But in
recent years there's been much to exclaim about, including a new
convention center and arena, a $90 million performing arts center
opening in the fall and much more.
The chamber's partners in the O! campaign are Mayor Mike Fahey, the
Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Peter Kiewit Foundation. Molly
Skold said there's more to come in the story of O!, possibly including
a highly visible "permanent fixture."
Whattya know? The nonslogan, O!, has made it a go.
Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom
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