Brand Archives - Black & Ginger

How my arrival experience at Copenhagen Airport informed my understanding of a city brand.

Do first impressions really count?

When it comes to place branding, the answer is a resounding yes—but it’s not as straightforward as branding a product or service. Places are subjective, multi-layered, and involve countless stakeholders. There’s rarely a single executive team or a clear USP. This makes it tricky to define, measure, or control.

On a recent trip to Copenhagen—my very first—I experienced a place where brand and city worked together seamlessly, without a single marketing campaign or logo in sight

The Airport: Subtle Signals of Identity

Stepping off the plane at Copenhagen Airport, my first impression was familiar: a sense of blandness, a feeling I could have been anywhere. But as I looked closer, subtle details started to emerge.

The clever use of materials, including the signature Danish plywood, combined with open, bright spaces and abundant natural light, immediately suggested something unique. It wasn’t shouted at you—it was quietly embedded in the space, a first clue to the city’s values.

The Journey to the City: Design as a reflection of values

Navigating the simple, intuitive wayfinding brought me to the train platform. Twenty minutes later, I was heading straight into the heart of Copenhagen.

Even on a train, the city’s brand was evident. The space was clean, spacious, and designed with attention to detail that subtly communicated care for its citizens.

A small overhead socket for a music player caught my eye—but it was the tray table that truly impressed me. With a simple push, out slid a walnut-veneered ply table with a brushed steel, recessed cup holder. Practical, elegant, thoughtfully designed. In that moment, I understood how Danish values—quality, functionality, and respect for people—permeate everyday life.

Place branding at it’s purest

There was no flashy campaign, no tagline, no promotional stunt. Yet I felt I had experienced the city’s brand in its purest form. Every detail, from materials to user experience, communicated a consistent message: this is a place that values its people and their experience.

For city planners, marketers, and designers alike, Copenhagen demonstrates that first impressions matter—but they’re not just about spectacle. They’re about embedding values into every touchpoint, quietly, intentionally, and thoughtfully.

Conclusion:

Place branding doesn’t always need slogans, logos, or campaigns. Sometimes it’s simply about how a city feels to the person walking through it—an experience communicated through design, attention to detail, and everyday interactions. Copenhagen, in its airport and train journey, embodies this principle perfectly.

Reflecting on a recent visit to Germany’s capital and creative hub – experiencing the city’s unorthodox approach to placebrand.

Upon arriving at Berlin’s Schoenefeld airport, I wasn’t greeted with a particular welcome or ‘energy’ I’ve come to experience in other European cities. There wasn’t a lot to it – a generic look, a few forgettable shops… odd for a capital city revered for it’s culture – we didn’t stick around too long. Schoenefeld is the secondary, smaller airport in the city, so I can’t speak for it’s primary airport.

A short walk to the station and we were on the train to our destination, Friedrichshain. We jumped off and then it started to happen. A city covered wall to wall in graffiti, street art, tags and messages. There was an instant sense of identity here which spread across the entire city. We could easily go into a debate at this point about whether graffiti constitutes art or if it’s just mindless vandalism, but for the me the sheer amount of the stuff made my experience in the city visually stimulating – I really felt like I was somewhere rather than anywhere.

When I looked into the governments current stance on graffiti, I was surprised to find that, just like most cities, it is still very much illegal and punishable by heavy fines. It was the fact that they obviously don’t try to clean or cover it up which I found interesting. This is a city where the people have persevered through harsh times, once physically and ideologically divided by a concrete wall, which I think plays a really important role in the cities identity today… Berlin is free – when the wall fell there was obviously a strong desire for radical expressionism, something which seems to still linger in the city’s culture today. The fact that the government doesn’t try to completely mute this I think makes for a really raw and fascinating sense of place.

I’m aware of the Be Berlin brand, but I didn’t once see it plastered over the city, even in the more touristic areas. The official website stated “3.4 million men and women in Berlin who make the city so unmistakable and play an active part in shaping the city’s transformations”. Berlin doesn’t need to force it’s place brand – the people make the city what it is. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s honest.

How Copenhagen Airport introduces City Branding

How my arrival experience at Copenhagen Airport informed my understanding of a city brand.

Do first impressions really count?

The Airport: Subtle Signals of Identity

The Journey to the City: Design as a reflection of values

Place branding at it’s purest

Conclusion:

Exploring Berlin’s raw, unapologetic city identity

Reflecting on a recent visit to Germany’s capital and creative hub – experiencing the city’s unorthodox approach to placebrand.

Why Amsterdam may be the new creative capital of Europe

As Black & Ginger grows into Europe we look at what makes Amsterdam a great place for the creative industries

“The dutch are so used to constraints of building up and along narrow roads, creativity is a way to break these restraints and express their true selves.”