Riga city has a brand new image and slogan – Live Riga. Developed by unknown German agency Embassy which is rumored to have some connection with advertising guru Ēriks Stendzenieks and his German office of Mooz – a company that for the past years is doing all political ad campaigns for the party of vice-mayor of Riga and oligarh Ainars Šlesers. The new logo and the “original” Live Riga slogan which resembles airBaltic logo or low-cost grocery chain Supernetto cost 1 million lats (1,5 mil euros) of tax-payers money. The mayor Nils Ušakovs is saying that this money was paid by airBaltic company, however he had forgotten that 51% of airBaltic shares belong to the state. The competition was restricted to foreign companies only while the newly launched Riga tourism development agency by City council that was officially ordering the logo is chaired by airBaltic boss Bertolt Flick. Can you spot a weird connection there? Next year the city plans to spend 5 million lats in public relations and advertising and it seems that none of this money will stay in Latvia. It would be fine as tourism has a total downfall in Latvia, however it rather sounds like it is again only a routine money laundering project of Ainars Šlesers. And everyone will be happy – Bertolt Flick will promote his own jet company with this airBaltic-ish logo, vice-mayor Šlesers would have distributed a big piece of cake of city’s budget to his loyal business partners, while the mayor Niks Ušakovs will tempt foreign tourists by shouting “this is how we Live Riga”..
Fucking Latvia - alternative guide to Latvia 
October 7, 2009 at 8:25 pm
God’s forsaken place! Leave when you still can!
October 8, 2009 at 5:50 am
–
smile ….
Laugh ….
what else would you expect?
from this group !
noise …. money changing pockets !!!
……
October 8, 2009 at 6:04 am
..
ah yes, on another note, you forgot to mention the connection of Mr. Jānis Naglis, LVRA President, who may also own ABC Camping, Hotel Islande, Air Baltic airport shuttle and the new Baltic taxi company.
Some of which are freely endorsed while on Air Baltic airlines flights.
Question: was there a competitive tender for the establishment of the new Baltic taxi company and endorsement of Air Baltic airlines?
Who is in who’s pocket there?
whimmmmmmmmmmm
…
October 22, 2009 at 8:44 am
why would you need a public tender to start up a new taxi company???
the public tender should have been for the tourism logo job….
my question to people is how they read the logo. Ive got a problem with it in that it can be read two ways – is it ‘Live Riga’ as in ‘I live in Riga’ or ‘Live Riga’ as in ‘a city that is alive’.
Each time I see it I cant work out which way to pronounce it… someone help me!!! How are non-native english speakers supposed to work it out if I cant!