Following the likes of New York and Paris, Rome has become the latest city to brand itself. Aimed primarily at the online audience, city authorities hope that the newly adopted logo will soon become a readily recognisable image which will help to promote the city around the world.

The logo was chosen through a national competition launched in July 2009. Over a year later the mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno has awarded the winning entry to distinguished graphic designer Antonio Romano of Turin company Mediapeople. Romano is responsible for designing the logos for RAI television, the Italian National Oylmpic Committee (CONI) and CGIL, the union representing Italian workers.

Romano's design is centred around an already well-known symbol of Rome: the bronze sculpture of the wolf with Romulus and Remus which stands outside the mayor's office on the Capitoline hill. The logo comprises the word Rome in gold and red letters while the sculpture's column with stylised wolf on top forms the letter "m".

The new symbol will not replace the SPQR municipal logo but will instead have a far more general and wide-reaching purpose. Alemanno hopes that tourists to the city will purchase items containing the logo, such as clothing, which in turn will help promote Rome when visitors return to their home countries.