Leaders in Arlington believe the city is the perfect place to achieve the American Dream — and now they want to make sure others know that, too.
When Eric Renteria hears someone mention Arlington, this pops into his head.
“I think about Texas Rangers baseball and Six Flags,” said Renteria.
Arlington city officials said that’s great and they want people to think of Arlington as a world class sports and entertainment destination. But they said there’s a lot more to the city than just stadiums and theme parks.
“You’ve got events like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the upcoming [College] Football National Championship — all those things put us out there and we need to be able to tell the things that are happening in Arlington in our terms,” said Jay Warren, communications and marketing manager for the City of Arlington. “You’ve got things happening in neighborhoods, in parks, great education systems. We want to be able to tell that comprehensive story to the public.”
It’s why the city teamed up with the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau to create a new identity for the city, one that would still appeal to tourists, but speak to things like the Arlington General Motors plant, UT Arlington and the economic opportunities the city provides.
“We’re so much more than the entertainment capital of Texas,” said Ronnie Price, president and CEO of the Arlington CVB. “By branching out and making it a more broad brand, we’re going to be able to tell a lot more stories.”
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They felt “The American Dream City” fit that bill and made it Arlington’s official brand.
“We’re the American Dream City because there are thousands and thousands of stories where people are out there achieving the 'American Dream' on a daily basis,” said Warren.
The new brand comes with a new logo for the city.
Warren said it will show up on websites, social media accounts and street banners almost immediately, while it will appear on city vehicles and water towers as those items go in for routine maintenance or are replaced.
The city and the CVB used hotel occupancy tax dollars to pay for the rollout.
The entire project cost $110,000.
Renteria said “The American Dream City” has a nice ring to it.
“I love a lot of the things they’re trying to do for the community,” said Renteria. “So I think it’s cool.”
