SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — San Francisco’s new mayor is privately working with influential leaders in design, technology and philanthropy to reshape the city’s image.
Mayor Daniel Lurie has held a series of private meetings aimed at launching a new branding campaign that could redefine how San Francisco presents itself.
The effort, code-named SF Identity, brings together philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, designer Jony Ive, Gap CEO Richard Dickson, and senior advertising executives. Records obtained by The San Francisco Standard show the talks began months ago and have continued largely out of public view.
Lurie has made rebranding San Francisco a priority since taking office, as the city continues to face vacant offices, public safety concerns and a struggling downtown. The goal is to signal that San Francisco is open for business again.
People involved have declined to comment, and city officials have shared few details. Meeting records indicate the group is working toward a unified, modern brand for the city. A memo described a Dec. 3 meeting as a follow-up discussion on a San Francisco branding campaign. The meeting took place at LoveFrom, the design firm founded after leaving Apple in 2019.
In May, Ive’s AI hardware startup, Io, was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion in stock. The deal drew attention after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Ive appeared together in a video walking through San Francisco, praising the city’s creative culture.
Records show Lurie met with the SF Identity group in June, September and December. In June, he visited LoveFrom’s office alongside Rich Silverstein and Jim Elliott of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.
The agency led the 2023 “It All Starts Here” campaign to improve San Francisco’s image as the city emerged from the pandemic. Civic leaders and business figures helped fund that effort. A source familiar with SF Identity described the new project as the next phase of that earlier campaign.
Several people involved in SF Identity have close ties to Lurie and his nonprofit, Tipping Point Community. Powell Jobs, Ive and Dickson are also members of the Partnership for San Francisco, which connects city leaders with top executives and business groups.
The partnership was launched last year to offer business perspectives on policy and provide direct access to City Hall. Lurie has frequently highlighted his relationships with business leaders, including a video posted in October with Dickson following a City Hall meeting.
“Gap’s renaissance mirrors what our city is going through,” Lurie said in the video.
Campaign filings show Lurie spent $350,000 in his first six months in office on consultants focused on messaging and public perception.
The SF Identity campaign could become a central part of the city’s branding strategy. Supporters say the effort could help attract businesses, visitors and residents, while critics may question the lack of transparency and the influence of wealthy insiders.
