There’s A Real Sense Of Momentum In Limerick

The gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way

The historic city and county, just a short hop from Shannon Airport, has launched a new brand and international marketing campaign designed by global marketing giants M&C Saatchi to encourage everyone to see the city and county with fresh eyes.

“Limerick : Atlantic Edge, European Embrace” is the new brand aimed at internationalising the city. The new branding aims to ambitiously place Limerick at the most dynamic global crossroads, while at the same time capturing the sense of warmth and resilience so evident there.

So why now? There’s a palpable energy in Limerick about where the Treaty county is going. A new tourism strategy predicts that the number of visitors to Limerick will reach 1.1 million a year, generating more than €360 million in revenue and creating 1,500 new jobs by 2023.

The four year plan has identified Limerick’s position as a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way as central to developing the sector.

The new brand features the word ‘Limerick’ in bold typeface, its designers say, with a colour palette ranging from

Atlantic Ocean blues to the county green and even gritty limestone greys from Limerick’s famous Treaty Stone. The campaign aims to promote tourism, business, education and investment across the county, and drew on input from multiple stakeholders as well as engagement from local producers such as Limerick School of Art & Design and Limerick Printmakers.

Despite being Ireland’s third-largest city, with a thriving university and a wealth of attractions, Limerick has struggled at times to get its fair share of tourists to its shores.

M&C Saatchi’s research found that few people overseas understand “what Limerick means, stands for or is even located. “Limerick now has a sharper way to focus its message, as a destination with an edge,” said M&C Saatchi managing partner, David Glass who also described it as “an amazing sweet spot”, “Europe’s closest link to North America”, and a place of “incredibly warm welcome”.

A major multi-market campaign, ‘Percentages’, is a cornerstone of the programme which aims to quantify Limerick’s combination of edginess and friendliness. The character and culture of Limerick will also be articulated through a roll-out of Limerick ‘heroes’, which will see inspirational people tell their stories on video and become faces of the campaign to amplify the sense of edge and embrace that typifies the city and county.

The new campaign coincides with a growing sense of local belief in Limerick.

A multi-million euro International

Rugby Experience backed by JP McManus and Paul O’Connell, among others, is set to open on O’Connell Street in 2021. Limerick’s Adare Manor, home to the county’s first Michelin Star is gearing up to host the Ryder Cup in 2026.

As the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Michael Sheahan said, there is a real confidence across Limerick today. “This is a real milestone for Limerick. We’ve had an economic transformation over the past decade and we are now rightly going out proudly to the rest of Ireland and the world and inviting them to experience our vibrant city and county. Whether through inward investment, coming here to enjoy our dynamic tourism offering or, indeed, coming to work in and enjoy the affordability of our city and county, we have a compelling offering here now and it’s right that we would take that to the world,” said Mayor Sheahan.

For more details on Limerick, log on to Limerick.ie the official guide to Limerick or follow these hashtags on social #Limerick #LimerickEdgeEmbrace #HowLimerick