Rumor: UP Slogan Changing

[ljudice]

Rumor has it that UP's Building America is being dropped for  "America Proud".

No idea if this impacts paint schemes, but honestly, the flags are in such poor shape I would not mind seeing a return to the previous lighting stripe with "union pacific".

[lock4244]

And they should revert to the good old 'We Can Handle It' slogan. IMO, was their best.

[jagged ben]

I hope the rumors are wrong.  'America Proud' has, really, nothing to do with railroading.    I bristle both at marketing that doesn't relate to the product and at appropriating patriotism for commercial purposes.  I've only sort of tolerated the flag on their stuff for the last decade or so.   My modeling era with BNSF ended with the swoosh just because I thought it was ugly.  If UP puts this slogan on their locomotives that will put a firm end on my UP modeling era as well.   

[Catt]

I hope the rumors are wrong.  'America Proud' has, really, nothing to do with railroading.    I bristle both at marketing that doesn't relate to the product and at appropriating patriotism for commercial purposes.  I've only sort of tolerated the flag on their stuff for the last decade or so.   My modeling era with BNSF ended with the swoosh just because I thought it was ugly.  If UP puts this slogan on their locomotives that will put a firm end on my UP modeling era as well.   

I bet you don't like NS's unit honoring our veterans either.

[Kisatchie]

And they should revert to the good old 'We Can Handle It' slogan. IMO, was their best.

Hmm... I thought it was
"We Can Mangle It"...

[Baronjutter]

"Building America" smells a bit of hollow patriotism as marketing, but given the history of railroads in america and its development it fits.  "America Proud" is just absolutely cynical nationalism-as-marketing.  But that's marketing these days, don't waste time saying anything to do with the product/service, just provoke an emotional response, even if it's absolutely unrelated to the product.

[Spikre]

 
   they could use:
   "We Are Lost Without E.H.Harriman ".
    Spikre
       
   

[Scottl]

I heard they were going to paint their locos black and red, and put a big white noodle on the side that says "CN"   

[C855B]

... But that's marketing these days, don't waste time saying anything to do with the product/service, just provoke an emotional response, even if it's absolutely unrelated to the product.

That's been the whole gist of "rebranding" for about 25 years - make up an alphabet-soup garbage company name that rolls off the tongue but doesn't identify a product or person. Especially if that name begins with "A" so your firm is near the top of any organized list of service/product providers: Accenture, Allergan, Ameri[whatever], Assurant, Aleris International, Amgen, Ameren... and a million others.

Why doesn't UP just call it a day and rename themselves "AmeriYellow" or something equally asinine. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I always thought the "photo realistic" flags were tacky. I'm generally not a fan of appealing to patriotism in advertising, believing that "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.", and while UP isn't all that obnoxious with it, it still feels a little distasteful to me.

[lock4244]

How about "America, F**k Yeah!"?

[tappertrainman]

"Uphill slow, downhill fast, tonnage first, safety last!"

[eric220]

How about "America, F**k Yeah!"?

I like this.

"Uphill slow, downhill fast, tonnage first, safety last!"

Even more this.

[jagged ben]

I bet you don't like NS's unit honoring our veterans either.

No, you're wrong about that.  I have no problem with painting one locomotive to honor veterans for their service.  That is not the same as pretending that your corporation and America are one and the same.  (Nor, BTW, is it the same as endorsing a specific government policy, a la UP's Desert Storm unit, which I found incredibly distasteful.)

If nothing else, UP has committed the ultimate crime by inspiring a TRW thread which can't avoid the issue of politics. 

[Dave Schneider]

How about "America, F**k Yeah!"?

Should be Merica!

Best wishes, Dave