OnlyLyon
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| OnlyLyon | |
|---|---|
| Name | OnlyLyon |
| Type | city_brand |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Location | Lyon, France |
| Founder | La Métropole de Lyon |
| Industry | Tourism, Promotion |
| Website | Official site |
OnlyLyon
OnlyLyon is the international promotional brand created to market the city of Lyon and its metropolitan area. Launched to coordinate civic, cultural, and commercial promotion, the initiative links municipal institutions, cultural organizations, and economic stakeholders to position Lyon among European urban destinations. It engages with international events, cultural festivals, corporate relocation, and tourism strategies to raise the city’s profile alongside peers such as Barcelona, Florence, Vienna, Berlin, and Munich.
History
OnlyLyon was initiated in 2008 under the aegis of Jean-Louis Touraine-era municipal efforts and formalized by Jean-Michel Aulas-aligned civic networks and La Métropole de Lyon. The program emerged amid post-2000 European city-branding trends exemplified by Bilbao after the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao effect and contemporaneous campaigns in Glasgow and Porto. Early partners included cultural institutions such as the Musée des Confluences, Opéra National de Lyon, Théâtre des Célestins, and business actors like Euronews-regional offices and representatives from InterContinental Hotels Group-affiliated properties. Political endorsements came from figures associated with Gérard Collomb and networks connected to Renaud Payre and Bruno Bernard.
The brand was designed to integrate major events like the Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières), the Nuits de Fourvière, and the Biennale de Lyon, aligning municipal marketing with cultural programming by institutions such as Institut Lumière and Confluences Museum collaborators. Over time OnlyLyon expanded partnerships to engage corporations including Sanofi, Euronews, Renault Trucks, and BNP Paribas, and to participate in trade fairs like ITB Berlin and MIPIM.
Branding and Identity
OnlyLyon’s visual identity borrows from Lyonese heritage visible in landmarks such as Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Place Bellecour, and the Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) quarter. The logo and slogan sought to evoke connections to culinary renown epitomized by Paul Bocuse and institutions like the Institut Paul Bocuse, while signaling innovation tied to Euratechnologies, INSA Lyon, and CNRS-linked research. The brand positioned Lyon against other creative capitals such as Marseille, Toulouse, and Nice, and international peers Lyon-adjacent in competitive circulation with Geneva and Milan.
OnlyLyon’s messaging referenced Lyonese heritage including the Traboules of Lyon, the Confluence district redevelopment, and the silk-weaving legacy of Canuts. Graphic campaigns incorporated imagery of the Saône and Rhône rivers, the Fourvière skyline, and gastronomic symbols drawn from establishments like La Mère Brazier and chefs associated with Michelin Guide recognition. Stakeholder coordination involved municipal communication offices, chambers such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon and private firms specialized in urban branding.
Marketing Campaigns
OnlyLyon executed campaigns targeting multiple audiences through channels including participation at World Travel Market, collaboration with the Atout France network, and digital outreach aligned with platforms like Airbnb and TripAdvisor. Campaigns showcased events including Biennale de la Danse, Lyon Street Food Festival, and sporting links to Olympique Lyonnais and venues such as Groupama Stadium. Promotional efforts featured ambassadors drawn from cultural and sporting figures affiliated with Paul Bocuse, Thierry Henry-era marketing synergies, and creative partnerships with media outlets like Le Progrès, Télérama, and France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
OnlyLyon leveraged trade missions to cities such as New York City, Tokyo, Shanghai, and São Paulo and collaborated with international networks including Eurocities and Metropolis. Digital campaigns used targeted content to attract business events, conferences, and film shoots, coordinating with bodies like Comité Régional du Tourisme Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and film offices that liaise with productions akin to Gaumont and StudioCanal projects.
Economic and Tourism Impact
OnlyLyon reported metrics tied to increased hotel occupancy in districts around Presqu'île and growth in meetings and conventions at venues like Centre de Congrès de Lyon and Eurexpo Lyon. Economic partners, including Caisse d'Epargne and project investors such as Bouygues Construction, participated in urban redevelopment projects with measurable impacts in the Confluence and La Part-Dieu sectors. Tourism activities prompted higher footfall to museums such as Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and heritage sites like Roman Theatre of Fourvière and boosted gastronomic tourism linked to institutions bearing Bocuse's legacy.
OnlyLyon also sought to attract foreign direct investment, working with multinational companies including EDF, Air Liquide, and Schneider Electric to publicize Lyon as a business destination. Trade and conference wins—some attributed to coordinated bidding aided by OnlyLyon partnerships—were compared to outcomes in Lyon's European competitors like Lille and Strasbourg.
Events and Partnerships
The initiative partnered with major cultural festivals and international events such as the Festival Lumière, Biennale Internationale de Lyon, and sporting events associated with UEFA fixtures when local clubs hosted matches. Institutional partnerships included universities and laboratories such as Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, EM Lyon Business School, INRIA, and Hospices Civils de Lyon. Collaboration extended to transportation operators including SNCF and Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport authorities as well as hospitality chains like AccorHotels.
OnlyLyon’s network encompassed private foundations, philanthropic patrons connected with Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, and cultural trusts linked to Fondation Bullukian and Fondation de France-supported projects.
Criticism and Controversies
Critiques of the branding strategy echoed disputes observed in other city-branding efforts, with commentators from outlets such as Le Monde and Libération questioning privatization of civic image and the allocation of public funds. Local activists and associations tied to heritage preservation — including groups concerned with Vieux Lyon conservation and labor organizations at factories linked to Michelin and Renault—raised concerns about gentrification in districts like Confluence and La Croix-Rousse. Urbanists and scholars referencing cases like Bilbao and analyses by Pierre Veltz debated the effectiveness of promotional expenditures versus investments in social housing.
Further controversies involved debates over event priorities, environmental scrutiny from groups aligned with France Nature Environnement, and tensions between tourism growth and resident quality of life discussed in municipal council forums involving figures such as Gérard Collomb and Bruno Bernard.