National Brand Identity - UK a case study

In the late 90s and early 2000, Britain became the first nation to aggressively attempt a re-branding campaign. The campaign never actually took flight but the nation was set in mood for a rebranding which later affected government’s image and eventually Britain’s image in the world.
The rebranding campaign was handled by the tourism ministry. It was called “UK’s Ok”. The purpose of this new slogan was to present Britain as a cool modern Western nation. The globalization was causing the traditional government-run departments to get privatized and there was an immense sense of change that needed to be addressed. The new tourism campaigns started projecting Britain as a modern vibrant economy with cutting edge, hi-tech industries and a diverse society of people from many ethnic backgrounds.

Even though the British government gave up the idea of persuading a national brand identity, but they still worked on it in the tourism ministry. The tourism ministry’s marketing campaign then started focusing on creating new image of the nation. A logo competition was announced and many graphic artists submitted their ideas. The purpose was to come up with something like a slogan, something that becomes as iconic as I heart NYC sign.

The tourism ministry's efforts sparked a controversial debate. Many conservatives and even some moderate liberals were furious over the idea of hiding the traditional image of the country and emphasizing more on modernism. Many of them claimed that the ministry’s efforts look like they are ashamed of Great Britain’s historical and cultural heritage.

This campaign was so inspiring that after this tourism ministries of many countries adapted  similar approach of national branding. Today we see iconic logos of Qatar Airways, Malaysia Truly Asia, Thailand and many more countries using national branding to bring more tourists.