One Australian state has found an inventive way to cut back on government spending — by not renewing two trademarks.
Trademarks for the two phrases, “Queensland the Smart State” and “the Smart State” were registered as trademarks in 2003 and used in marketing materials until usage declined in 2008. So, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman recently announced that the state would not be renewing the trademarks as a government cost-savings measure.
The trademark renewal would have cost $10,800 and another $36,000 in monthly payments to other countries. Newman said, “This would have been an unwarranted cost to renew the trademarks, which were not often used.” Another savings measure announced is the discontinuation of manufacturing car registration plates with the slogan, “Queensland the Smart State.” That will save Queensland another $15,000.
There’s no word yet on whether the Queensland government will adopt a new catchphrase.
We wrote about taglines related to cities that have registered trademarks a while back. Remember “The Town Without a Frown”? That’s Happy, Texas in the U.S. Even the London 2012 Olympic Games has a motto: “Inspire a generation.”
It’s time to update our old list … what’s your favorite city or state tagline?
