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Keep Austin Weird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. The phrase arose from an offhand remark by Red Wassenich (a librarian at Austin Community College) in a phone call to a local radio station. He and his wife, Karen Pavelka, placed the slogan on bumper stickers, distributing them free to businesses in Austin; it was later trademarked by Outhouse Designs and used to market T-shirts, hats, and mugs.
The slogan refers to the many small businesses in Austin, and that it is these businesses that give Austin its unique cultural identity. This slogan is trying to prevent a rapid increase of major corporations, which would create a large city vibe and make the city of Austin "normal".
The College Station-based company Sarcazm Creations created a parody slogan "Keep College Station Normal"[1] Other parodies created by local businesses include "Keep Waco Wacko", intended for Waco, and "Keep San Antonio Lame", intended for San Antonio.
Austin's message of support for local businesses has inspired similar movements in other cities, including Portland, Oregon; Tampa, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Santa Cruz, California; and Boulder, Colorado.[2]
- ^ "College Station", Zazzle. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
- ^ "So, how weird are we?", The Oregonian, August 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
- Kanter, Alexis. "Keep Austin Weird?", The Daily Texan, September 9, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-03-16.
- Creel, Keith. "How Austin is Keepin' It Weird, Dude", Austin Chronicle, November 16, 2005.