Guardian Cities recently discussed how typefaces have been instrumental in building city identity. The story kicks off with the case of the the Dutch city of Eindhoven, which was hit hard by the decline in manufacturing over the last few decades. In Eindhoven, things started going pear-shaped in the 80s, but went horribly wrong in…
With recent news of Obama’s decision to lift restrictions on Cuba, let’s take a closer look at the image of this enigmatic little country. Cuba has been suffering from US trade sanctions for a long time. The embargo was first introduced in 1960, shortly after Fidel Castro seized power, and has been extended at various…
Last year, Japan scored its first top spot in a country brand index when it came first in FutureBrand’s annual index. The FutureBrand index measures the strength of countries’ brands based on factors including the number of consumer brands the country is known for (an easy win for Japan with its multitude of famous names in…
How has the district of Beyoğlu influenced Istanbul’s city brand? Beyoğlu, that most famous and storied district of Istanbul, is the first place that many new arrivals to the city discover. For many, it has had a significant effect on shaping the city brand of Istanbul. The pulsating artery of İstiklal Avenue enthrals most newcomers during those…
Those fearsome North Koreans are at it again! Kim and co are apparently none too pleased at the latest movie release from Sony. The film, ‘The Interview’, starring James Franco, revolves around two Americans who plot to sneak into the reclusive country and assassinate Kim Jong Un. Recently, an anonymous hacking group called ‘Guardians of…
Twitter has become the main harbinger of major global events in our hyper-connected age. When news breaks it breaks on Twitter before any reporter or newswire have chance to reach it. Situations tend to unfold gradually on Twitter, starting with tweets containing vague hints and references as people try to figure out what is going…