Norwegian municipal coats of arms. (NRK)

Bamble is “getting better”, Gjerdrum is “closer than you think” and “it’ll be alright” in Fredrikstad. There are many great municipal slogans in Norway. NRK radio program Nitimen is searching to find the most original.

In relation to the Norwegian municipal election in September, municipal merger is a hot topic in current debates. Slogans are important to keep the local identity, but they can also be counterproductive.

Troms County is considering reducing from twenty-four to four municipalities. Perhaps the local slogan in Salangen, “Blow borders” was not exactly meant in that direction.

– Slogans should be a kind of summary of what you are and what you stand for, says Kjell Terje Ringdal, lecturer at the Oslo School of Management, to NRK.no.

Not all slogans are thought out, they just sound welcoming. Vågsøy municipality has “Growth and well-being” which sort of resembles Vikna’s “Well-being and growth”.

Many are not aware of their local slogan. Yet, the municipalities are using resources to establish nice words to represent the municipality in the best possible way.

– Many slogans seems to have been made at an after party. A municipality must consider itself a product, and in the same way as a product, the municipality must create excitement and unity, Ringdal says.

Nitimen have collected twenty slogans, and it is up to the listeners to vote.  The winner will be announced on Monday 7 September.

List of nominated slogans:

Averøy – en god forbindelse (Averøy – A good connection)

Bamle – stadig bedre (Bamble – Getting better)

Eidsvoll – På historisk grunn inn i framtiden (Eidsvoll – On historical ground into the future)

Farsund – Kysten er klar (Farsund – The coast is clear)

Fredrikstad – Det årnær sæ (Fredrikstad – It’ll be alright)

Gjerdrum – Nærmere enn du tror (Gjerdrum – Closer than you think)

Gjerstad – Best når det gjelder! (Gjerstad – Best when it counts!)

Harstad – Attraktiv hele livet (Harstad – Attractive the whole life)

Hobøl – Hobøl på kartet (Hobøl – Hobøl on the map)

Høylandet – Fly så høyt du vil – med begge beina på jorda (Høylandet – Fly as high as you want – with both feet on the ground)

Kragerø – Kun stupebrettet svikter (Kragerø – Only the divingboard fails)

Melhus – Melhus er en mangfoldig kommune der det skal være mulig å være modig (Melhus – Melhus is a diverse municipality where it is possible to be brave)

Salangen – Sprenger grenser (Salangen – Blow borders)

Sande (Møre og Romsdal) – Utanfor allfarveg – heldigvis (Sande (Møre and Romsdal) – Off the beaten track – luckily)

Trysil – Stavtaket foran (Trysil – A pole lenght ahead)

Tynset – Kjem’n te Tynset så trivs’n (Tynset – If you come to Tynset you’ll enjoy it)

Ulstein – Der baug bryt båre (Ulstein – Where bow breaks wave)

Vaksdal – Bynært bygdeliv (Vaksdal – Suburban rural life)

Vikna – Trivsel og vekst (Vikna – Growth and well-being)

Vågsøy – Vekst og trivsel (Vågsøy – Well-being and growth)

Vote here (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation – NRK)

Text modified by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews

Slogan translations by ThorNews

Categories: Language, Quirky