Due to the growing prevalence and importance of social media sites, I also incorporated the way that these spaces were shown in posts on Twitter, Facebook and Yelp!. When visiting these spaces, I was primarily interested in getting the perspective of individuals interacting with the graffiti, this could be someone taking pictures with the art, or simply visiting the sites to see the street art. In order to look into the subject of graffiti in Austin, I chose a few local hot spots to get an idea of the role of graffiti in the city the HOPE Outdoor Gallery (HOG), a large outdoor graffiti park/gallery, and the famous “I love you so much” graffiti at Jo’s Coffee on South Congress Street. I sought to understand how and why people use graffiti in Austin experience, and facilitate the city’s brand as “weird.”

Urban branding occurs through many different media in Austin, but perhaps the most exemplary is through the images of graffiti that have come to define Austin as a city. Due to the pervasiveness of this phrase, and that the rise in its popularity as a way to brand Austin culture, I became interested in the issue of urban branding in Austin. In Austin, one phrase has become synonymous with the city: “Keep Austin Weird.” This slogan is found on everything from keychains to bumper stickers to tie dyed shirts in Texas’ capital city. Keeping Austin Weird: Graffiti and Urban Branding

Which city says keep it weird