The campaign was created by Leicester Shire Promotions, the marketing arm of the city council, after campaign designer Richard Herne got sick of hearing "boring, boring Leicester" chanted by opposition fans on the terraces at Leicester City football club.
The provocative posters, whose straplines also include "Leicester -- nothing to shout about", have no visuals and are intended to get local people talking about what the city has to offer. They will run on sites throughout the city.
The first posters have been designed to look as if a confident statement about Leicester has been defaced by graffiti. A second phase of the campaign will have local people challenging the negative comments.
Leicester Shire Promotions campaign director Paul Brookes said: "Research has shown that Leicester is virtually invisible in many people's eyes. Worse still, local people seem fond of knocking the place and are cynical about its future prospects. If residents aren't proud of the city then it will be difficult to convince outsiders that Leicester is worth visiting and is a good place to study and do business."
Brookes added: "We have decided to tackle these negative perceptions head-on. By pointing out some of the negative comments made about the city, we hope to get locals talking and defending it."
The campaign is part of a long-term drive to make Leicester one of the UK's leading cities by 2010. A series of themed years, beginning in 2004 with Taste Leicester!, will be run to build public support for the regeneration of the city.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .