Boston.com readers share how they feel about the city’s new tagline, ‘Boston Never Gets Old’
"NY doesn't sleep and we don't get old? I don't like it."
After the city of Boston announced its new tagline last week, “Boston Never Gets Old,” we asked Boston.com readers whether they liked the campaign and the majority of them gave it a thumbs down.
The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a $7 million campaign showcasing Boston’s cultures, neighborhoods, and the city’s benefits beyond its famous history, according to The Boston Globe.
“We had to retell the story. We had to show a different city,” said Dan Donahue, president of Saunders Hotel Group and chairman of the bureau’s board, wrote The Boston Globe. “People have a sense of Boston as a racist city. We had to show different. We had to be different. Boston is the definition of what America is [in terms of diversity].”
When we asked if readers liked the tagline, out of 227 readers surveyed, about 62 percent chose “Not at all,” about 26 percent chose “Yes, I love it,” and about 12 percent chose “It depends.” Plenty of readers responded on social media as well.
Here’s what they had to say.
Not at all
“NY doesn’t sleep and we don’t get old? I don’t like it,” wrote Jack from Malden.
“Truly awful way to describe Boston. Sounds like we never have or should or want to change — so be warned. Really?” wrote an anonymous reader from the North Shore.
“It sucks,” wrote Mikey of Southie.
“Boston Nevah Gets Old,” wrote Mary S. of Cambridge. “Keep it real.”
“It is the opposite of thinking for the city. Tourists come to Boston to see the old. Fenway Park is old. The Boston Common is old. Faneuil Hall is old. The statement may not excite the first-time visitor,” wrote Anthony L. of Cohasset.
“1) The tagline doesn’t reflect the heart and feel of Boston. 2) The City should have had a state wide contest which would have generated something far better 3) There are areas of the city that have been neglected and aged 4) There is nothing wrong with ‘old’ and the implication is off-putting,” wrote an anonymous reader from Roslindale.
“We can do better (which could be a tagline itself!). Why not “Boston: Old, new and ready for you!” wrote Richard from Mission Hill.
“By having old as the last word in the tagline, it immediately makes me think that the city is old and draws more attention to it being a dated city. I also don’t think this tagline really fits well with their goal of highlighting Boston as a diverse, global city with lots of growth in the future,” wrote Patrick S. of Fenway.
“Never gets old is a tired old phrase. Ugh… All that money to spend and they couldn’t do any better than this? If I told my friends about this new (old) tagline, they’d laugh in my face — and not in a good way,” wrote Dianne from Weston.
“Immediate response is that it’s a terrible tag line. To me it’s not catchy, it just sounds bad. I fully support Boston being a more diverse city but I’m not understanding how this tag line helps that effort,” wrote Matt from Charlestown.
“Sounds juvenile and corny (and I am 80 years old) it is not an exciting tagline no matter how many exclamation points they use.…we need something refreshing and more sophisticated to reflect today’s culture…….and Boston has plenty of it…,” wrote Bill R. of Boston.
“It got old. But seriously, it makes one think of the past instead of an exciting future. I can come up with a better one in one minute: ‘Boston: Emblazing A New Era.’ Also for your careful consideration: ‘Boston: At Least We Don’t Have Harry and Meghan,'” wrote Steve from Winchester.
“This tagline sounds like it is officially enshrining denial over things like the decrepit condition of the MBTA, and the many roads with potholes that don’t ever get fixed. Boston has a lot to offer, but not getting old isn’t one of them,” wrote Jon of Back Bay.
“Part of what makes Boston special are its ancient neighborhoods. Charlestown, Beacon Hill, parts of the South End, Back Bay, bits of Roxbury, not to mention the surrounding towns, many of who still have their own town squares reasonably preserved. Don’t try to compete with the San Antonio’s Columbus’s and Phoenix’s of the country. It’s not who we are or want to be,” wrote Jack B. of Vermont, formerly of the South End.
Yes, I love it
“It is clever and links with the old with a subtle message of more to offer,” wrote Jeanne H. of Arlington.
“I love the juxtaposition of what Boston is most known for (history) with what we’re about today (innovation and progress),” wrote Julia G. from Andover.
“Terse and appealing,” wrote Len R. of Chestnut Hill.
“Original, it’s a play on the city being old and historic,” wrote Christopher J. from Braintree.
“It recognizes that we are ‘old’ but in a positive way,” wrote Mark B. from Back Bay.
“Just the right touch!” wrote Donna W. of West Roxbury.
“Boston is full of students and is the youngest city so ya it never gets old. But more importantly the city’s history and significance to American history makes it a place you can visit again and again,” wrote Chirag P. from South Boston.
“Because history is not boring,” wrote Gregory D. from Holliston.
“Catchy… Speaks about our History.. and also always up to date…. Freedom Trail to MIT…,” wrote DJ M. from South Shore.
“The city is always thinking forward, how to make itself better while preserving its history,” wrote Nelson K., who did not share his hometown.
“There is always something interesting and fun happening in Boston,” wrote David W. of Watertown.
“Because it’s true, always something new in the city,” wrote Ede from Cape Cod.
“I love it because it’s cheeky. Obviously Boston is very old, but it also has a lot of vibrant things going on in the present. It also goes with my personal slogan ‘New England — It’s a lot like Old England, only newer,'” wrote Celia P. from Roslindale.
It depends
“‘Boston Beckons’ would have been a better tagline. It’s rhymey. It flows,” wrote John from the South End.
“It’s vague and doesn’t really scream Boston to me,” wrote Phil from Jamaica Plain.
“I’ve seen a lot worse — remember ‘Chicago Not in Chicago’? It’s a nice nod to our historical reputation while pointing out that we are constantly growing and changing due to our colleges and burgeoning tech sector. Would have liked to see The Hub worked in there somehow,” wrote Mike D. from West Roxbury.
“I think it’s too vague. Boston is in my opinion one of the best cities in the country, but I never thought of it as overly racist, so not sure why a new tagline had to be created,” wrote Nate P. of Fort Worth, Texas.
“Indifferent,” wrote Nick from Arlington.
“I believe Boston ought to embrace its sense of history, but also acknowledge the limitations of its past, and try to move forward in the spirit of its best qualities,” wrote Greyson D. of Mission Hill.
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
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