– Maybe it’s missing a bit of a glimmer, is it fair to say? Program manager Linda Eide is not completely over the proposal in Stryn. Should they go for “Stryn – here I want to live”? Or what about “Stryn – built for the future”? It is up to the citizens to decide. The municipality is far from the only one to promise gold and green forests with its slogans. For example, Gjøvik believes that they are a “leader in sustainable growth and development”. Frøya beats its chest with “power and diversity”, while Vindafjord asserts itself as “vital and central”. Linda Eide comes up with her own suggestion: “Stryn – far from the city – fortunately”. Photo: Tore Zakariassen / news Doubts about effectiveness Many slogans are beginning to drag on. It was in the 2000s that a wave of slogans swept through our country. Stryn also acquired a slogan then. It reads like this: “Stryn – We want development”. Mayor Per Kjøllesdal says the commitment is great. Photo: Håkon Vatnar Olsen / news – Don’t they want to develop the municipality some more? – No. Now it’s over, jokes Per Kjøllesdal. He is a sheep farmer and Center Party mayor. And he recognizes that a new slogan is not going to change the world. The slogan candidates in Stryn Stryn – Here I want to live Stryn – A good place to live, a good place to come to Stryn – Safety and well-being for all Stryn – Built for the future Stryn – Community between fjord and mountains Sick of the cliche? – The vision in itself probably does not lead to any palace revolution, says the mayor. But that says something about the thinking in the municipality’s work, believes Kjøllesdal. He also says that great commitment is proof that it is fruitful to create a new slogan. But it is not without risk. Rarely are more clichés gathered in one place than on the Wikipedia overview of Norwegian municipal slogans. What do you think of municipal slogans? Just spray! Can build local identity Absolutely necessary for municipalities with self-respect Show result Not everyone agrees that these municipalities hit the mark: Grong – An active and robust regional center with quality of life and diversity Vardø – Cedant Tenebræ Soli (Latin for “the darkness must give way for the sun”) Sandefjord – Think big, think Sandefjord Saltdal – Responsive, solution-focused and responsible Åtvarar municipality But sometimes municipal slogans become popular. That Sveio is “in the middle of leio”, for example, is something many westerners know. Sande municipality, which is “off the beaten track – luckily”, received the most votes in Nitimen’s 2015 competition for Norway’s most original municipal slogan. Slogans taken out of thin air are not always successful, according to Marit Mellingen. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news But do such slogans have anything to do with them? Marit Mellingen, director of the District Centre, warns municipalities against superficial advertising. – If the slogan does not coincide with the direction that is shown in the daily work in the municipality, there is a risk that it will become something that works against its purpose, says Mellingen. Damn good municipality There must therefore be popular support for the slogan. But here there is another ditch to fall into. Like when Ullensvang was supposed to have a new slogan, and “damn good municipality” got 59 percent of the votes among people. The slogan is up to becoming “Norway’s orchard”. Stryn has chosen an intermediate solution. The municipality has chosen five proposals for the residents to vote on. People in Stryn can vote for their favorite slogan. Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB scanpix Linda Eide would in any case wish that the proposal was a little more vigorous. And she launches her own candidate. – Rhymes and catchphrases have something to say for people to remember places. So “Stryn – far from the city – fortunately”, that would be a bit of fun, wouldn’t it? Published 30.09.2024, at 12.16
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Åtvarar municipality on a slogan hunt – news Vestland
