“Milano, a Place to be”

Place branding is a multifaceted phenomenon that involves complex forms of semiotic mediation. This chapter focuses on the semiotic processes and the political dynamics mobilized by the recent rebranding of the city of Milan, paying special attention to the circulation of the Milanese slogan “Milano, a place to be.” It analyzes the social life of the slogan ensuing from the Expo 2015 rebranding campaign: “Milano, a place to be,”. The hosting of Expo 2015 gave the city unprecedented media exposure, becoming the occasion for redefining the city's image. The recent rebranding of the city of Milan is embedded in wider-scale efforts to define a distinctive nation brand for Italy. Milan is currently seeking to re-launch itself as “Italy's moral capital,” by erasing its recent history of political corruption and real estate speculations. The current chronotopic rebranding of Milan as a cosmopolitan, progressive, and eventful city has also prompted a series of critical reactions.