When someone says “Vancouver”, many outside of Oregon and Southwest Washington think Canada. It comes as a surprise to some that Vancouver is a Washington city that borders Portland and boasts over 160,000 residents. For years, city government and its proud residents fought the label of being just another suburb of Portland, but that all changed this week.

A new campaign with the slogan “Land Here, Live Here” has been launched, now referring to Vancouver as “Portland-Vancouver, USA.” It also comes with a surprising twist. Not only is Vancouver embracing Portland, they are injecting themselves into relevancy. The campaign hopes to lure new businesses and residents to the Portland Metro Area.

The new identity comes from Identity Clark County, the City of Vancouver, and the Port of Vancouver. Despite including Portland in the name, this effort is all from Vancouver. To be fair, the campaign web site is unbiased, truly promoting the region in general, not just Vancouver.

Officials are likely betting on the huge growth Clark County has seen in recent years. As the housing bubbled expanded and traffic came to a stand-still on area freeways, Vancouver grew more than its fair share. Being in Washington, the Vancouver area also provides the draw of not paying a state income tax while preserving the ability to buy goods in Oregon where there is no sales tax.

Vancouver is betting that if you Land here in Portland-Vancouver, you’ll live and work in……Vancouver.

Related posts:

1. Vancouver Also Vying for Google Fiber
2. Vancouver Women Hit By Vancouver Police While Walking Across The Street
3. Vancouver to Host Styrofoam Block Recycling Party