Bulgaria seems to be facing a really big image problem that could easily transform into a crisis if not properly managed. The new brand identity elements of Bulgaria resemble very much those of Kyrgyzstan’s. The most important thing however is that Kyrgyzstan presented its slogan and logo four months before Bulgaria.
Image by Investor.bg
As anyone can see from this image, there are important similarities between the two logos: the colors and shape are closely related. Kyrgyzstan’s logo symbolizes several key elements of this country such as sun, open water, mountains, sand and green vegetation. They are also found in Bulgaria and in this country’s logo. Bulgaria’s visual element looks like a stylized rose, and it is a known fact that the country is famous for its rose perfume and products. Using this flower for the logo was therefore only natural.
There is a huge resemblance between the two slogans as well. Kyrgyzstan’s slogan is “So much to discover!”, while Bulgaria promotes itself as a country to “Discover and share!” From the slogans’ point of view, Bulgaria goes further and not only suggests that it is a country worth visiting, but also that it is worth sharing, which, on a deeper analysis, suggests that tourists will have good experiences worth sharing with families and friends.
Kyrgyzstan new brand was unveiled September 2012, that’s four months before Bulgaria announced its new identity elements.
Brand Bulgaria is already controversial as there is a suspicion of conflict of interest. From the looks of it, Bulgaria could find itself in the position of creating new brand elements and in a relatively short period of time, as brand Bulgaria was supposed to be used in marketing campaigns starting this fall.