Billionaires launch $4 million campaign to boost San Francisco's image
SAN FRANCISCO -- A new $4 million campaign aims to refresh San Francisco's image and boost civic pride.
Organizers admit the city is dealing with some tough challenges but say San Francisco is still an iconic city that locals should be proud of.
In recent years, the downtown area has been struggling with business closures. Rampant drug-dealing in the Tenderloin District has caught national attention and homelessness, along with car break-ins, have frightened visitors.
"I think the narrative is lazy. I think it's easy to say this is the worst part of the city, let's highlight that. But they're not highlighting the best parts of the city either," said San Francisco native and artist Monica Magtoto.
Magtoto is partnering with the "It All Starts Here SF" campaign. She and a team of volunteers used art to highlight the Mission District at the campaign kick-off festival held in Rincon Hill/East Cut neighborhood Saturday.
"There's always so much color, smell, food, taste and I really want to bring that to life in this mural about the Mission District," Magtoto said.
As part of the campaign to boost civic pride, artists from 11 districts in the city are showcasing each community's unique qualities through murals that illustrate how San Francisco is a special place.
"It All Starts Here SF" is funded mostly by two local billionaires, tech CEO Chris Larsen along with Bob Fisher from the Gap clothing company.
"This is not marketing or sweeping our problems under the rug. This is about bringing folks together, exemplifying our pride and showing the nation that we always come back," said Alex Tourk, a spokesman for It All Starts Here SF.
Campaign organizers will be buying and running ads in traditional media locally and on social media in the coming days.
The ads will highlight San Francisco as an innovative and creative hub that has changed the world.
Mayor London Breed said the city is cleaning up the streets and tackling crime to restore law and order.
"Part of what we have to do along with a campaign like this is ensure safety or even the perception of safety," Mayor Breed said.
While some businesses have shut down citing retail crime, the mayor said that others are still investing in the city, like Ikea which recently opened a showroom on Market Street. Chotto Matte opened a huge, high-end rooftop restaurant in Union Square this weekend.
"We have to get people excited about San Francisco and part of it is you have to counter some of the negativity with some of the positivity and what's going on," Mayor Breed said.
As for Magtoto, she is optimistic San Francisco will make a comeback.
"I think it's still a world class city and I also think it's up to us and the people that come to visit to take care of this place as if we do love it," Magtoto said.
Some said that, while it's great to boost people's morale, the real solution to restoring the city's image is to build more affordable housing, reduce crime and get more businesses back in the Financial District.
