Wording in Experience Regina presentation suggests intent to sexualize city

Public documents from the City of Regina shed new light on the rebrand of Tourism Regina to Experience Regina.

As first reported by a CBC investigation, the documents were acquired through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, and included the initial presentation of the rebrand, to be distributed to various stakeholders.

CTV independently verified the presentation deck, and those documents are now public on the city’s website link.

Words and phrases used in the presentation suggest that there was intent to sexualize the city’s name.

The campaign slogan itself reads, “Do it in Regina,” with a message to Stakeholders: “Don’t worry, it’s meant to be cheeky…this campaign is to own who we are (the city that rhymes with fun).”

The rebrand also states on slide 14 that the vision was to “make Regina sexy,” the last word in bold lettering.

Based on the documents posted by the city from the FOI, representatives from Saskatchewan Winter Games, Regina Folk Festival, Canadian Western Agribition, Cornwall Centre, Warehouse District, the Regina Hotel Association, Downtown Business Improvement District and the city, were in attendance at the Regina Tourism Brand presentation on Dec. 6, 2022.

CTV reached out to Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) for comment, and received a statement from CEO Tim Reid.

“I can confirm that deck was presented to a key group of stakeholders prior to the launch of the rebrand earlier this year. However, as stated in the press release on April 13, following the launch the decision was made to return to the Tourism Regina name.”

He added that an independent review of the tourism agency is underway by a third-party consultant that will bring their findings before city council.

“We remain committed to creating a brand that is inclusive, positive and celebrates the amazing attributes of the city of Regina,” Reid’s statement ended.

Neither the businesses nor the mayor’s office responded in time for publication.

The Experience Regina brand received backlash after the launch, with many people upset by the innuendos, ultimately leading to a public apology and revert to tourism Regina.