We believe that this campaign may be unique. It’s a ‘brand’ campaign for a major football club – Manchester City. At its heart is the idea that City is the club of Manchester – supported by Mancunians who live in and love Manchester. This is in stark contrast to the ‘global brand’ that is the other club of Manchester – United. The idea is summed up by the line ‘This is Our City’. The line, along with posters and bus-sides, was intended to stir the passions of the club’s supporters and in particular, encourage the less regular fans to commit themselves to City.

The club had limited resources to back the campaign, but they managed to secure 33 48-sheet poster sites and 25 bus-sides in Manchester. Over a period of a month these carried four executions – ‘Real Manchester’, ‘Pure Manchester’, ‘Greater Manchester’ and ‘This is Our City’. These executions also ran in the club magazine and programme, as bumper stickers and as T-shirts for sale in their shops. They were supported by viral campaign, including a film of a United supporter travelling from London to Manchester to graffiti a poster and a ‘This is Our City’ kit for overseas United supporters.