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Move over Brand Canberra, there's a new brand in town (well, the region). Say hello to Brand Queanbeyan, a cheeky and very obvious rip-off of its younger, bigger cousin's brand. Former Queanbeyan resident and graphic designer James Walters, 41, is the visionary behind the new logo, creating T-shirts and beanies that feature the letters QBN in a strikingly similar geometric font to Brand Canberra's CBR. The T-shirts are available at qbntees.com.au and come in the perfectly-named "Seiffert Green", "Riverside Red", "Whitey's White" and "Royal Hotel Blue". Walters, who spent his teenage years growing up in West Queanbeyan in the 1980s and '90s, said when he saw the Canberra brand it was obvious Queanbeyan needed its own version. "I just thought Canberra's got this trendy brand and this whole campaign around it - well what about my old home town?" he said. "Let's face it, it's right beside Canberra but it's its own distinct entity and it deserves to have its own special brand." If "Confident Bold Ready" are the words that make up the CBR acronym, then Queanbeyan could be known as the capital's "Quite Beautiful Neighbour", Walters said. A friend had come up with "Quirky Bogan Nest" but he wasn't a fan. "I'm open to suggestions as to what QBN could stand for," Walters laughed. "It just needs to reflect the hallmarks of a Queanbeyan brand - it's all about authenticity and small town community. "I like coming over to Queanbeyan because it's got more character. Let's face it, Canberra can be a little bit sort of sheeny and there's a bit more real-life grit over in Queanbeyan." He'd love to see Queanbeyan sporting heroes Mark Webber and Brad Haddin don a QBN T-shirt, Walters said, but his dream is for the logo to be adopted by Queanbeyan City Council for a tourism campaign. "The existing Queanbeyan brand's a bit daggy," he said. Stubby holders and hats are next on the list of Brand Queanbeyan merchandise. Brand Canberra Program Manager Karen Unwin said it was great to see "recognition and enthusiasm" for the brand. "As we know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," she said. To purchase a Queanbeyan T-shirt, head to qbntees.com.au Follow Bree Winchester on Instagram and Facebook

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