Brooklyn Park, a northern suburb of Minneapolis, has served up a $150K image campaign to Interpublic’s Carmichael Lynch Spong following a competitive pitch.

brooklyn parkThe Minneapolis Star Tribune says the city of 100K, which is 50 percent minority, is “dogged by a bad reputation, inside and out.”

Despite a 20-year low, residents and outsiders believe crime is on the rise, which is a blow to property values and the ability to attract new businesses.

The city’s Economic Development Authority parceled out the PR cash from its $1.5M budget.

Mayor Jeff Lunde said the hiring of CLS is “an opportunity to move the needle and create value.”

He counts the city’s diversity among its strengths.

Maria Reitan, senior principal at CLS, promised a mix of social and traditional media.

She told the Strib of plans “to do a 180 on what's been going on in terms of coverage in the media.”