The latest Columbus awareness campaign

Columbus has a lot to brag about , and it wants to get better at doing it.

Why it matters: A so-called identity crisis has long contributed to potential visitors' unfamiliarity with our growing city. It's a concern local leaders, media and residents have tried to solve for years, in hopes of boosting public perception and luring more tourists.

Driving the news: The latest attempt to market the city is a new ad campaign, "Yes, Columbus," which embraces our relative obscurity.

Zoom in: The videos list local accolades with tongue-in-cheek awareness that people outside Ohio may be surprised to hear them.

• Examples include " Essence " magazine dubbing us one of the year's top global culinary destinations , and the fact that the concentration of fashion professionals here is topped only by New York and Los Angeles.
• Columbus? "Yes, Columbus."

What they're saying: "I don't think we have an identity crisis, I think we have a 'lack-of-awareness crisis,'" Sarah Townes, chief marketing and innovation officer of Experience Columbus, tells Axios.

• The marketing organization helped launch the $2 million campaign in May with local partners, including Franklin County and city government, paid for mostly with bed taxes .

The intrigue: Columbus' lack of singular brand captured the attention of the New York Times as far back as 2010, with familiar themes throughout the story.

Flashback: "Columbus has not had a bad image," Experience Columbus' director said at the time. "It has just had no image in the national marketplace."

• The Times noted: "At least six earlier branding efforts over the last half-century fizzled out with anodyne slogans like 'Discover Columbus' and 'Surprise, It's Columbus.'"
• One amusing idea from a 2010 brainstorm: "Columbus: We Are So Not Ohio."

Between the lines: Columbus' marketing budget is lower than other comparably sized cities, which is likely a factor, Townes says.

What we're watching: "Yes, Columbus'' ads are airing in a 250-mile radius from Central Ohio, in cities as far as Detroit, Indianapolis and Lexington, Kentucky.

• So far, engagement has been positive, Townes says.

Watch an ad

📬 Tell us: Do you think "Yes, Columbus" will help build our city's brand? What slogan would you use to advertise Columbus to outsiders? Email columbus@axios.com with your thoughts.